Rebuild
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Part 2 of Frayed. Having the materials is the easy part. Actually rebuilding is the tough job.
1. Chapter 1

Rebuild

Chapter 1

Taking a deep breath, Fang blew it in the face of his best friend.

Batting his face, Elizabeth squealed. "'ang!"

Laughing heartily, he kissed her. "What?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing also. "Hi!"

"I missed you." He stood back up, taking her with him. Max, who was on the couch, rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to watch the news, Fang. Move."

"I'm saying hi to Elizabeth." He carried her with him into the kitchen. "I'm hungry."

"Hung'y," she echoed as she leaned against him.

"Alright then." He grabbed a box of Frosted Flakes off the top of the fridge and poured it into a bowl for them to share, leaving out the milk.

When he got back to the living room, he sat down next to Max.

"Hey, Max."

She didn't even look at him, but he knew that if she did, she would cut her eyes.

"Are you still mad? Really?"

"Yes, Fang, really. You don't get drunk, insult my family and-"

"My family too!"

"Oh, whatever."

He looked down at Elizabeth. "Ella was trying to brag about her stupid little brat and you weren't even saying nothing good about Ellie. I needed to defend her honor."

"With a bottle of Jack in your hand?"

"Jameson, but yes."

"Stupid drunk."

"Stupid hater."

"What are you? Five?"

"Eight."

"Fang."

"What?" He smiled at the baby in his lap when she ate some of the cereal. "Besides, I didn't say nothing too bad…did I?"

"You called her a slut, a-"

"Max! In front of Elizabeth?"

"You sure were saying it last night in front of everyone."

"I was drunk. You're sober. Watch your mouth."

"Mo't," Elizabeth mimicked. Fang bounced her a little.

"You know what, Fang? Do whatever you want." She jumped up from the couch and stomped off. Fang made a face before grabbing the remote and putting it on cartoons. Not for himself, of course. For Ellie.

"You like this show?" He asked her, but the toddler wasn't paying attention.

"'ang eat!" She shoveled cereal into his mouth. Fang just smiled at her, chewing his food. She was a lot easier to deal with than her mother.

* * *

Fang was laying on the bed, drinking, when Max came into the bedroom.

"Don't spill," she told him, but not acknowledging him in any other way. Fang thought about spilling the drink, but thought better of it. Why waste perfectly good whiskey?

What're ya doin'?"

"Huh?"

He repeated his question.

"Looking for clothes for work tomorrow," Max said, going through the closet. "I might have to do the laundry."

Fang burped. "I'm off!"

"Shhh. It's late. I know."

"Gonna watch Ellie."

"Yeah."

Fang sat his bottle on the dresser, almost missing it entirely. "I'mma sleep now."

"'kay."

He laid there, listen to Max come in and out of the room. At some point, he must have drifted off, because next thing he knew, she was cursing.

"Fuck that! It's not even fair. Ella- You were- He's a fucking drunk. Yes, I'm going to cuss if I wanna! Don't like it, hang up the ph- Hello?"

Fang rolled onto his side. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up. Only because of you, jackass."

"Such a mouth."

"Don't even start with me." Max was laying in bed next to him, now sending out an angry text to her sister. "My idiot sister thinks that she can just call me and bad mouth you."

"You do it all the time."

"Not with other people…that's not the point!"

"Now who's loud?" Fang closed his eyes again. "Tell Ella to go suck an egg."

"You two are so petty. Fang, I get why you hate her, but the past is the past. You have to move on eventually."

"No, I don't."

"Life's short."

"Yeah, and I ain't going to waste it playing nice with that woman. I hate her."

"She's my sister."

"And? I'm your boyfriend, right?"

"Is that all?"

"Is it?"

Elizabeth started crying and Fang jumped up to go get the two year old.

"What's wrong?"

She reached out to be picked up from her bed. Fang lifted her up, rubbing her back.

"You're drunk. Give her to me."

Fang didn't turn around. "Go back to bed, Max."

"Fang-"

"She just had a bad dream. She wants me."

"How do you know?"

"She always wants me."

They both stood there, waiting for the baby to calm back down. When she did, Fang held her until she fell back asleep. Then he gently laid her back down before walking out of the room, Max following.

"Don't ever talk to my sister again."

"I didn't try to. I don't understand why she had to come visit."

'Well, you don't need to understand. You just need to stop being mean to her. And by that, I mean stop talking to her all together."

Fang laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. "Be quiet. I don't want Elizabeth to wake up again. If she does, she's your problem."

"You know as well as I do you'd jump up out of bed faster than me and rush to her. You're such a creep."

"Why? Because I feel the need to take care of…Max, my head hurts. I don't feel like fighting, alright?"

He felt the bed dip as she got into bed next to him. "Whatever."

* * *

"'ang."

"Hmmm?"

"Nama."

"Yeah." He kept shaving, not even looking at the toddler as she sat on the counter next to him, happily staring into the mirror.

"Dad! I have to get to school."

"I'm coming, Ethan!" He shook his head at Elizabeth when she looked at him. "Boys. They're so noisy."

"No'y."

"Yeah." Reaching over, he patted her on the head before going back to his reflection. "Alright, Elizabeth, you ready?"

"No!"

"Yes."

She seemed to think for a moment before turning and holding her arms out to Fang to be picked up. He got her in one arm before walking out of the master bathroom, headed to the living room.

"Took you long enough."

Fang gave Ethan a once over. "What happened to your hair?"

He brightened. "I spiked it. You like it?"

Not really.

"Yeah. Let's just go, okay?" He shoved Elizabeth in shoes before leading Ethan out of the room. "Your brother walk?"

"Yeah," Ethan said as his father started to put the baby in her car seat. "Hurry."

"Ethan, stop it. What do you have to do that's so important?"

"It's Julie's birthday and I have to get her something from the vending machines before she gets there!"

Elizabeth patted Fang's face. "Et'an 'oud."

"Yes, he is." Fang laid his head against Elizabeth's. "Be good. I have to drive now."

"Dad! Stop playing with her and come on!"

He was about done with his son at the moment. "Ethan, stop. You're not going to boss me around. Sit there, be quiet, and I'll get you to school on time. Alright?"

He just crossed his arms, not saying anything. Fang mumbled something else to Elizabeth before getting into the driver's seat.

"Bye, Ethan," Fang said a few minutes later. "Say bye-bye, Ellie."

"Bye-bye."

Ignoring them both, Ethan jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Fang made a face.

"He's a brat. I'm glad that you're not like that."

"'ang."

"Yeah, I know. He just gets emotional easy." Fang stopped and got them donuts before going back home.

"Max? You here?"

He walked into the bedroom and saw her still in bed. "Max?"

"What?"

"I brought donuts." He sat Elizabeth down on the bed before sitting next to her, the box of donuts on the bed in front of them. "Want some?"

"You bought a lot for just us."

"I bought you and Elizabeth each one. The rest are mine."

She made a face as she rolled over to face them. "You're going to make her fat."

"No. I'm going to make her happy." He ripped off a piece of a twist and held it out in front of the toddler. She happily ate it, giggling a little. Fang took a bite out of one, smiling also.

"Mo'," Elizabeth whined, holding her hands out. Fang ripped her off another piece. Instead of eating it, she shoved it in her mother's mouth. "Mommy."

After feeding her mother, Elizabeth was ready for her own food again and whined until Fang fed her.

"You complain a lot," Fang told her. "You know that?"

She showed him her teeth before falling over with giggles.

"You're in a good mood today," Max observed before closing her eyes. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just don't feel all that bad this morning."

"That's good."

He nodded. "Besides, I get the whole day with El after you leave."

"Have fun."

"We will."

"No drinking."

"I'll wait until you get home…I guess…"

"You better, Fang."

"Or what?" He asked, amused.

"You know what. I told you not to drink around them."

He just shook his head at Elizabeth. "She thinks that I'm irresponsible. What do you think?"

Holding up her hands, she said, "Mo', 'ang!"

Max smiled, reaching out to run a hand down her daughter's back. "Fang, don't feed her too much."

"I'm not." He looked down at his girlfriend's daughter. "What do you want to do today, Elizabeth?"

Staring into his eyes, she said, "P'ay."

"You wanna play? Huh?" He went back to his food. "I'll think about it."

Max laid there for awhile more before getting up to go get ready for work.

"Mommy?" Elizabeth frowned when her mother walked off into the bathroom. "Mommy."

"You're okay." Fang patted her on the head. "I'm done with my donuts. You don't want anymore, do you?"

Elizabeth shook her head before moving to lay down on the bed. "Nigh' nigh'?"

"No. I thought that we were going to play?" He stood up, pulling her off the bed along with him. "Come on, little girl."

"No 'ittle."

"Very little." He held cradled her in his arms like she was a newborn again. It made the toddler giggle, which she did a lot when she was with him. Fang took her into the living room, where her blocks and Ethan's action figures reigned supreme these days.

"I'm Superman," Fang made one toy declare as he picked it up and waved it in the baby's face.

"Ba'man," Elizabeth told him, taking the Caped Crusader who Fang incorrectly deemed the Man of Steel.

"Yeah, you love Superman, huh?" Fang patted her head, which he did a lot. He played with her until long after Max had left for work. In the back of his head though, he couldn't ignore the need to drink. He couldn't though. He'd have to pick up Ethan from school in an hour or so.

"Lunch time."

"Lun' mine!"

"Time. Not mine."

"Mine."

Fang led her to the kitchen where he made them some sandwiches. Well, he made her one and himself seven. Whatever.

"Got to rip up the sandwich for the little one," Fang taunted, making Elizabeth hit his leg, watching from the ground as he did so. "The little baby."

"No." She started to pout. Baby. Bah! Fang was more of a baby than her. "No."

"Yes, yes, yes." Fang started to walk back towards the living room. "Come on."

Stomping, she followed behind him to the couch, where Fang sat down, putting both their plates on the coffee table.

"Get up here."

She didn't budge. Making a face, Fang said, "Elizabeth, get up here and eat."

Still nothing.

He sighed. "Are you mad at me? Huh? Is that it? The silent treatment?"

When he still got no response, Fang reached out and lifted the toddler into his arms.

"I like spending time with you, Ellie, but if you're going to be a baby, then you can go stay in your room."

"No!" She elbowed Fang, but he didn't mind. "'ood now!"

He sat her down on the couch with a pat on the head to go with it.

* * *

Elizabeth was laughing loudly, continuing to pat her hands on her mother's boyfriend's head. She was seated on his back as he did push ups.

"You gotta do perfect form, Dad."

"Shut up, Ethan. Are you even keeping count? I told you to tell me when I hit two hundred."

"Yeah...about that."

Fang groaned before going down, staying on the ground this time. "Up, Elizabeth."

"No."

Reaching blindly behind him, he grabbed her and moved her off him so that he could roll onto his back. Looking down at him with interest, the toddler moved to stare down at his eyes.

"'ang?"

"Shhh."

Leaning down, she laid her head against his. "Hi."

"Hi."

Ethan, not one for the topic of discussion not only not to be about him, but also nonexistent, began to talk.

"Dad, you know what happened yesterday?"

"No," he mumbled as Elizabeth still looked at him.

"My art in art class got chose to be hung on the wall. Only the really good kids get their stuff up there."

"E.T., you've told me that before."

"I know. I just wanted to be sure that you remembered."

"I do."

"Good. You should remember things."

"Ethan, be quiet."

His younger half-sister giggling, moving away from Fang's face to climb onto his chest. She loved playing with Fang. Seeing this made Ethan frown.

"Dad, can't Elizabeth go to Ryan's or something?"

Making a face, Fang asked Ethan why he would ask that.

"I don't know."

Sighing, he reached out and touched Elizabeth, just to hear her laugh.

"Wanna play a game, Ethan?"

"What game?"

"Like Mario or something?"

Nodding his head, Ethan got up to get them the controllers to play Mario Kart. Fang groaned a little as he sat up, keeping Elizabeth in his lap. When Ethan gave him the remote, Elizabeth patted it once before leaning back against Fang, giggling.

"What's so funny? You always think things are funny."

Not always. When Fang took her to go pick up Ethan earlier, she had been cranky. She cried the whole time, the only thing that Fang hated about her. Crying. It was annoying.

"P'ay?"

"I'm playing with Ethan."

"P'ay?"

"I just told you-"

"Dad, you're not even paying attention!"

"Stop yelling, Ethan. And yes I am. I'm just trying to tell Elizabeth something."

She sat there for another minute before wiggling around. "'ang."

"Fine." He sat her on the ground. "Go play by yourself."

Standing up, she walked over to the couch and climbed up there to be with her big brother. He just frowned at her. Today was not a good day for sibling love.

"B'uce!" She started to bounce when her big brother walked through the front door. He didn't even look at her.

"I need a car tonight."

"Take your mom's. She gets home soon."

"I need it now."

Fang didn't look away from the TV. "For what?"

"I have a date."

"Right now?"

"I want to go get it washed."

"Hmmm…Which girl is it?"

"Gee, I don't know, maybe my girlfriend."

"Maybe? You should be more aware of stuff like that," Ethan told him with full sincerity. Bruce made a face at him.

"So can I have your truck or what?"

"I guess so." Fang reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys. "When's the date?"

"Seven."

"It's five."

"I just want to be ready, okay?"

"Can I come?" Ethan asked. "To wash the car? I'll put the quarters in the machine, help you-"

"No."

Fang shook his head. "Take him or no car."

"Dad-"

"Or take Elizabeth."

Bruce went over and picked up his younger sister, took the keys, and left. Ethan made a face.

"Sometimes, Dad, I think that he doesn't like me."

Sometimes? Fang shook his head slightly.

"You know, Ethan, I think he's just jealous."

"Everyone is. You're a hero and I'm a hero in training. Of course they're jealous."

"Yeah, of course."

* * *

"Max, would you chill?"

"He should be home by now," she mumbled, peaking through the blinds, as if that would hurry Bruce up.

"His curfew isn't for another-"

"Still."

Fang drank some more Jameson. "You worry too much. I mean, you don't really think that he hasn't-"

"He hasn't."

"If you're so sure. I mean, Max, he is after all, my son."

"Last time I checked, we haven't done that in a month."

"Clearly, you've been keeping count. You want me, huh, baby?"

"No, not really."

"Eh, you'll come around. Either that or someone will."

"Stop messing around."

"I wish I was messing around."

"Fang."

"What? I want to have sex, Max."

"Shut up." She went and sat down next to him on the couch. "This isn't a conversation for the living room. The kids might hear you."

Fang just kept drinking. "The more I think of it, the more I realize that you lied to me."

"What?"

"I was promised sex at least once a week."

"When was that promised?"

"It was implied."

"Is that what it was?" She leaned against his arm. "You know that you're not really mad at me."

"I know nothing."

"I don't disagree."

Wrapping an arm around her, he rubbed her shoulder a little. "Brighten up, Max."

"Why?"

"Ethan won't ever get a girlfriend. He'd freak her out too much. You can baby him for as long as you like."

She sighed. "I don't really mind Bruce's girlfriend, I guess. I just…I don't know."

"Welp, I'm bored." Fang stood shakily before steadying himself. "I'll be in the bedroom."

"'kay."

When Fang got there, he stripped down to boxers before collapsing on the bed. Today had been a long day. Tomorrow was work. Fun.

He was mostly asleep, partially dead, when Max came into the room.

"Bruce get home okay?" He mumbled against his pillow, not caring if it came out weird or incomprehensible.

"Yeah. Neck covered in hickies, but yeah."

Fang smiled. "I remember when you used to give me-"

"Not tonight."

"No walk down memory lane?"

"No."

"Not even a stroll?"

"Drink and shut up."

"All out. Don't feel like getting up to get more. Max-"

"No. I'm in bed and staying that way."

Fang shook his head slightly. "You would benefit. From drinking, I mean. Or at least smoking. Something. You're always so uptight."

"Thanks, Fang. You know, if you're really planning on getting me to screw you, you'd think you'd be nicer to me."

"Ha, Max. Outsmarted you."

"How?"

"I don't think."

"…Don't talk to me anymore, Fang."


	2. Chapter 2

Rebuild

Chapter 2

"'ang?"

Ryan made a face as he put his daughter into his ex's car. Max sighed a little.

"He's at work, Elizabeth."

She waved to her father before whining for Max to hand her a stuffed animal. When she got it, she shut up.

"Bye, Elizabeth," he said, kissing her. Elizabeth giggled, but didn't look away from her stuffed toy. When they got home, Elizabeth was crying again.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Daddy!"

"You knew that you had to come home."

"'ang!"

"He's working."

The toddler took a deep breath as they walked though the door. Looking around, she didn't find Fang, but she did see Bruce, who had early release that day.

"B'uce!"

He rolled onto his side. "Go away."

"Bruce, why are you in the living room if you don't want to be bothered? She just wants to play with you."

"Well, I don't want to play with her, okay?"

Marching over to him, Elizabeth climbed onto the couch where his feet were.

"Stink."

He gently pushed her with his feet, not wanting to hurt her, but also not wanting her near him.

"Bug off."

"Play nice," Max said before going to sit in the chair. He just groaned.

"What are we doing on Friday?" He asked.

"I don't know. I'm off. Why?"

"Can Sabrina come over?"

Max watched as her daughter leaned down to smell her brother's socks, which got her another push.

"Who?"

"Mom."

"Bruce-"

"You can never just do something for me, can you?"

Was that a serious question?

"Bruce, I just don't-"

"Like her, right?"

"I didn't say that."

"You meant that."

"Fine! Okay? She can come over. I'll make-"

"Dad will. Or I will. Someone."

Elizabeth tired of his feet and began to scale his body, her destination his face. "B'uce."

"Mom-"

"She loves you."

When she got there, Elizabeth forced her way under the blankets and snuggled against him. "Ni-ni, B'uce."

"Mom, if you don't-"

"You have to be nice to her, Bruce. Besides, it's not like she affects you if you're asleep."

"But-"

"Plus," she added, "I am being nice enough to let you have that girl come over Friday. You owe me."

"Not 'that girl', Mom. She's my girlfriend."

"Yeah. Sure it'll last forever."

Bruce ignored her as Elizabeth began to snore. "Can I go put her in her room?"

"No."

"Whatever."

* * *

"Where were you? You were supposed to be home-"

"I went out to watch the game. Sue me." Fang kissed Elizabeth, who was whining in he mother's arms. "What's wrong with the baby?"

"Nothing. Just crying."

"Let me see her." Fang picked her up with one arm before heading to the kitchen. "What'd y'all eat for dinner? I'm hungry."

"Fish sticks."

"Never mind."

Elizabeth calmed after a minute or two and just laid against his shoulder.

"She cries too much," he complained, but didn't hand her over.

"It's because you spoil her."

"Is that it?"

"Yeah."

Reaching up, the toddler patted his nose before closing her eyes. Max leaned back against the counter.

"You been drinking?"

"A little."

"And driving?"

"Obviously."

Max watched him make few sandwiches, staying silent for as long as she found possible.

"How was work?"

"Worky, really."

"Fang."

"What did you want me to say, Max? Fine? Is it?"

"You've been a douche for the past few days. I haven't done shit to you."

"Watch your mouth."

"Make me."

She knew that he hated when she said that. She just didn't care.

"Are you mad at me, Max? Because I went out? Because I have a life? Sorry if yours sucks so bad recently, but it's not my fault."

"Oh, mine sucks?"

"How could it not? You have zero friends, right?"

"I'm so done with you right now."

"That's great, Max. I really care."

Elizabeth whined a little, making them both shut up. Max left after a minute, not even caring what Fang did. The ass.

It was around three in the morning when Fang finally came to bed. He didn't acknowledge her at first, but Max made no complaints. After an hour though, he reached over and poked her.

"Leave me alone."

She could smell the alcohol on him and knew that it would take him a few moments to form his slurred sentences.

"Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Fang."

"You're mad."

"Is that so? News to me."

"I was mad."

"Well, that's on you. I can't control that."

He removed his finger from her flesh. "Stop, Max."

"What? You're the one that-"

"I'm horny, right now. You wanna have sex?"

"Fang-"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"No."

He frowned, rolling over to look at her. "And why not?"

"I'm just not…into it tonight."

"When have you been?"

"Use your hand."

"…I…Max, come on."

"No."

"Please?" He moved so that he was practically over her. "You know you want me."

"You reek of whiskey."

"Just the way you like it."

Max was still mad at him and wasn't all that into it, but she felt slightly bad about not having sex with him for awhile. So, yes, she did sleep with him. So what?

* * *

"I think I'll make pasta."

"No," Bruce mumbled, not lifting his head from the table.

"What about chicken?"

"Barf," Ethan said, giggling when he got a glare.

"Then what, boys?" Fang shifted Elizabeth to the other arm when she started to wiggle. Max, who was at the table next to her sons, sighed a little.

"What about stew?" She offered up.

"No," Bruce said, making a face.

"I don't know hwy you're being so picky. It's not like this is that important," Max complained.

"It's his girlfriend, Max. If he wants us to make something important, then we will." Fang bounced the toddler in his arms as she started to whine. Finally, he just sat her down on the kitchen floor. "It's not like we have anything going on Friday."

"_We_ were going on a date. When do we ever both get off, Fang?"

"You just don't want her over here."

Ethan shook his brown hair, laughing a little. "I can't wait to see your girlfriend, Bruce."

"Why?"

"Because I just know that she'll like me better than you and then dump you for me."

"I don't see that happening."

"I do."

Elizabeth head butted Fang's leg, laughing a little. He pushed her back.

"Stop, El, I'm trying to talk to Max and the boys."

"No." She then wrapped her arms around Fang's leg, kissing his jeans. Fang reached down and ran a hand over her head, sighing.

"Well? What am I going to make?" He asked, keeping his hand on the toddler's head.

"Chili?" Max asked.

"No," Bruce said, frowning at her.

"Why not?"

Ethan chuckled. "Then he might fart on his girlfriend!"

"Ethan!" Fang went and hit him gently in the back of the head. "Behave."

Elizabeth trailed behind Fang, holding onto his pants leg. "'ang!"

"You need to decide on something before I just decide that she eats Hamburger Helper," Max threatened.

"The off brand?" Ethan asked. When Max shook her head yes he gasped. "You better decide, Bruce! Quick before she decides to throw in fish sticks and chicken nuggets."

"Shut up, loser."

"Decide, Bruce," Max repeated, watching her daughter cuddle against her boyfriend's leg. "Liz, come here."

"No!" She snapped, not moving away from Fang.

"She's fine," Fang said, smiling down at the baby.

"What about tacos? Nachos? Something easy?" Fang was about done playing around with his son.

"I don't know," he groaned. "Just make whatever. I don't care anymore."

"Fish sticks it is," his mother declared to which his father shook his head.

* * *

Fang was busy reading Elizabeth the normal toddler bedtime story. Something Dr. Seuss or maybe Goodnight Moon. Max was sure because she was too upset to listen as she walked into her daughter's bedroom.

When Fang looked up and saw his girlfriend's face, he knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" He asked from his spot on the toddler's bed, Elizabeth settled against him trying to listen to her story. "Are you okay?"

"'ang! S'ory!"

"Ryan called and just…I don't know."

"What? Did he say something?" Fang sat up a little, but didn't remove his arms from around Elizabeth and the book. "Do I need to talk to him?"

"You…Fang…Not in front of the baby, okay?"

Baby? Elizabeth looked around before getting upset. She was calling her a baby! "No! 'ang, s'ory."

Keeping his eyes on Max, Fang said, "Sorry, Elizabeth, but we'll finish the story tomorrow. Go to sleep."

"No!"

"Fang, finish her story. It's not that serious."

Elizabeth leaned back against him, ready for her story. "'ang."

"Okay, okay."

Max leaned against the doorframe, waiting. When he finally finished, Fang hugged Elizabeth to him before standing.

"Night-night now, Elizabeth."

"No."

"Yes." He patted her head. "Goodnight."

"Goo'nigh'." She blow her mother a kiss before letting Fang tuck her in.

"See you in the morning," he whispered in her ear before leading Max to the hallway, closing the door behind them. "Tell me what happened?"

"Nothing, Fang."

He looked into her eyes and Max felt cold. Looking away, she pushed her hair out of her face while moving her vision to the ground.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't have come and got me."

"I was just telling the baby goodnight."

He put a hand under her chin, lifting it to make her look at him. "You tell me what he said before I go down there and beat it out of him."

"Just cursed at me."

"Why?"

"He didn't pay this month's child support and when I asked him about it, he promised he'd have it to me by today. He didn't so I called. Then he got mad."

Fang laid his head against Max's. It was different than when he did it with the kids. This was…intimate. Max liked this. She liked it a lot.

"He's a jerk, Max."

"Don't say that. He's Elizabeth's father. I didn't let him say it about you, you don't say it about him."

"Fine. I won't say that, but-"

"God. It's bad enough that you have to do PDA all the time, but right in front of my bedroom is horrible."

Fang held his girlfriend to him when she tried to move. "Go away, Bruce."

"You're blocking my door."

"And?"

Max finally pushed Fang off before stepping aside. "Sorry, baby. We were just talking."

Fang pulled Max back to him when she tried to walk away, holding her back to his chest. "What, Bruce? You should be glad to see us like this. It only helps strengthen your future relationships."

"Whatever. Go drink and leave me alone."

"Hey-"

The teen closed the door in his father's face, pissing him off more. Max leaned back against Fang to distract him.

"Fang?"

He started kissing her neck. "What?"

"I just…Sometimes, I hate Ryan."

He nuzzled her neck, something that always gave her a funny feeling in her stomach for some reason. Closing her eyes, Max moaned softly. Fang gave her a kiss on the head.

"Let's go to bed early tonight."

"What about Ethan?"

Fang frowned and she felt it against her head. "I'll deal with him." Then he let her go and walked off. "Ethan!"

Max shook her head before going to her own bedroom to wait. When Fang got in there, he had two bottles of whiskey with him. Watching him closely, Max saw his every move. First, he locked the bedroom door. Then he sat a bottle down on the dresser, downing half of the other one in the next moment. Once that too was on the dresser, Fang pulled off his shirt and dropped his jeans.

"Roll onto your stomach," he mumbled as he moved to straddle her on the bed. She felt his erection on her butt and it made her smile, but not from the thought of having sex again. Just knowing that she turned him on was nice. Alcohol or not, it was nice.

"Wings, wings, wings." He pushed up her shirt, stroking her wings gently. "You should flaunt them."

"Hmmm?"

"You don't even have slits in your shirts anymore."

"I don't need them."

He kissed one wing which made Max flutter them. "I think you do. They make me horny. You know that? When I'm at work, all that it takes is thinking about you flying and-"

"You are way too drunk."

"No. Just honest." He rubbed himself against her and she reached behind herself to hit him.

"Stop."

"Fine," he groaned before going back to messing with her wings. A minute later and he was done with the brown and white feathered appendage. Now on to her back in general, Fang began to kiss her body as his hands traced patters on her back.

"W…What happened to Ethan?"

"Put him to bed."

"What did you tell him?"

"That we were going to bed early and he should too. All superheroes do it sometimes, I said."

Max moaned a little, closing her eyes even though it didn't matter as her head was pressed into her pillow. "Do you think we'll still be doing this when Ethan gets old enough to know what we're really doing?"

"Babe, I plan to be doing this so long that eventually Elizabeth will know what we're doing."

Max laughed a little. "Is that so?"

"Shit, Maxie, I plan on doing this at least until our next kid graduates college with a master's degree."

She wanted to roll her eyes, but it would be wasted because he couldn't see. "Fang, I've told you before, Ellie's my last."

"Ha, as if. Max, how could you stop the spread of this seed?"

"Please, I beg of you, never say that again."

As he made her turn around to face him, Fang leaned down to her ear and whispered, "I make no promises."

* * *

Max had just finished a heated text battle with Fang and feeding Liz lunch when she was ready to lay down and watch TV in the living room. While she half watched her daughter play with toys on the floor and half watched a 90's sitcom, Max sent Fang one more text before calling it a day with her phone and setting it on the coffee table.

She was just getting into the episode when the front door opened, startling her.

"Bruce?"

He jumped too. "Mom? What are you doing home?"

"No. What are _you_ doing home?"

"Early release all week, remember?"

No. Stupid high school, ruining her day off.

"I'm off today," she said, frowning when behind him she saw that girl. Ugh. "What were you doing? Because I know that you didn't think that you were going to-"

"I was just stopping by to get my wallet," he said, walking into the house, Sabrina behind him. Max didn't buy it, but she didn't want to yell at him with the girl around.

"B'uce!" Elizabeth laughed, falling over with giggles. Sabrina smiled a little. It made Max want to vomit.

"Hi," she said, that stupid smile still plastered on her fake face. Bleh. Max couldn't wait for her son to break up with her.

"Hi."

When Bruce returned, Elizabeth was waiting.

"Hi!" She stood up and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his leg. "B'uce."

He was clearly controlling his anger because Sabrina was with him. "Elizabeth, let go."

She rubbed her head against his leg. It always struck Max as odd, Elizabeth being so enthralled by Bruce when he couldn't care less about her. Ethan, on the other hand, was usually obsessed with her and she couldn't seem to care less. Maybe it was that thrill of the chase thing or something.

"Bye-bye? Go bye-bye?" She looked up at him, smiling the whole time.

"No. I'm leaving and you're staying. Now let go." He looked back up at Max. "Mom."

"What?"

While his girlfriend laughed, Bruce picked up the toddler and walked her over to the chair. After setting her down, he walked away.

"B'uce?"

"Stay."

Her eyes started to well as she watched her brother wrap his arm around the girl and lead her out of the house.

"Elizabeth, come here," Max called, praying for God to stop the waterworks that Bruce had set in motion. Alas, even Noah couldn't weather the flood that was about to begin.

"Bubba!" She started crying. Why didn't Bruce want her?

* * *

When Fang got home and found his friend crying, he was about done with his son. He told Max that as he tried different techniques to calm the toddler down.

"Elizabeth, it's not that bad, Bruce disliking you. Mommy does it."

"Fang."

He laid his head against the baby's head. "Look at me."

Elizabeth pushed away from him, whining still though her tears had dried up. "B'uce."

"I know, I know." He kissed her cheek. "Wanna eat? I'm going to eat. You wanna eat a snack with Fang?"

When he stood up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against his shoulder. Max shook her head, sitting back down next to Ethan on the couch.

"Why is Elizabeth so upset? Bruce never plays with me," he complained, crossing his arms. "And Dad never makes that big of deal out of it when I get upset."

"It's because Ellie's a baby."

"Not no more."

"Yes. Can she say complete sentences?"

"No…"

"Then she's still a baby."

When Fang came back, he was carrying a bowl of Frosted Flakes. "We need more cereal."

"I'll go to the store tomorrow," Max responded absently as she played with Ethan's hair. All was quiet for awhile, as the cereal had distracted the toddler and Ethan had talked Max into putting on Toy Story. Then Bruce had to come and ruin it.

"How dare you."

He frowned, closing the front door behind him. "Huh?"

"How dare you make her cry." Fang shook his head at his son. "She is a baby. Why can't you just be nice to her?"

Bruce frowned before looking at Max. "Is he serious?"

She sighed. "Unfortunately. But that's not the point, Bruce. You do not bring people over when no one's home. Especially if it's a girl."

"You brought a girl here?" Ethan shook his head. "And without me? I like to be included in things, Bruce."

"Shut up, dweeb."

"What does that mean anyways? Dweeb. Does it have a real meaning? How do you know that it doesn't mean cool?" Ethan asked smugly.

"Ooh, I want to call you something, but it sure don't mean cool."

"Bruce." Max shook her head slightly, her hair falling over her face. "Look, that girl is not to come over without-"

"She's not 'that girl'. Her name is Sabrina."

"Bruce, I don't care if you're bringing Madonna over! No girls. Understand me?"

"It's not like-"

"Do you understand?"

"Dad lets me."

"What?" Max looked to Fang, who was suddenly way too concerned with Elizabeth's hair. "Fang?"

"Max, it's not like…I mean…She just comes over sometimes and they watch movies."

"Well, if you're home, then that's different."

"But…I mean…I might leave sometimes…for work…or something…"

Max got up, not even able to look at any of them. "No more girls over without anyone being home. I don't care what Fang says. This is my house."

"What?" Fang frowned at her, but she ignored him and walked off to her bedroom.

* * *

"Ethan wanted me to tell you goodnight. And so did Elizabeth."

Max didn't move. "We should get a TV in here. The boys have TVs in their rooms."

"Maybe for your birthday or something," Fang mumbled, forgetting that her birthday was whenever she chose. When he laid down, he laid so that he fell directly next to her, one arm covering her side.

"Fang."

"Hmmm?"

"She's not to be over when no one's home. I'm not going to be one of those parents that just shrug their shoulders as their son tells them he knocked someone up. I'm just not."

"I know."

"No, apparently you don't."

"You want me to give him some…protection?"

"Absolutely not, Fang. That would be telling him it was okay."

He grunted.

"Fang, you better listen to me."

"Are you just expecting him to stay abstinent?"

"Gee, uh, yeah."

"Then you're dumb. No boy does that unless he's, like, a loser."

"Fang."

"What? Even the losers get someone. Maybe the church kids, but I heard that church camp is where most of them-"

"You better-"

"Max, even the band kids knock each other up!"

"I don't care. Not everyone does that."

"Mostly-"

"Not my son. Do not give him condemns."

"Wouldn't think of it."

"Fang."

"Max, I'm drinking, so I probably won't remember this in the morning. Write it on a notepad or something."

"Shut up."

He moved his head closer to hers so that they could cuddle…kind of. She rubbed her hair against his, hiding her smile.

"Night, Fang."

She felt him move again, this time so that he could pull her back to his chest and hold her.

"G'night."


	3. Chapter 3

Rebuild

Chapter 3

"Do you like cooking with me? Because I like cooking with you."

"Yeah," Elizabeth sighed as Fang handed her the measured out cup of sugar. Pouring it into the bowl, she said, "Mo'e?"

"No, that's enough sugar," he said, going back to the directions. They were making cake. "Elizabeth? Do you think that I'm a nice person?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because Ethan called me mean today. You don't think I'm mean, do you?"

He hadn't corrected her in the past week so… "No."

"Good. That's why I like being with you. You're so smart. Did you know that?"

"Yes."

"Cocky, but smart." He sighed a little. "You know your mother's going to be in a bad mood today. She doesn't like Sabrina all that much, but I think she's just being a brat. We should want Bruce to have a girlfriend. It makes him happy. You want Bruce happy, right?"

"Yes!" She started giggling. She loved Bruce. He was her big bubba and she always made sure people knew it. When they were at the park because Mommy made him take her, she was always sure to walk real close to him and not whine as much, like a big girl.

"Good." Fang looked down at the baby, who he had sat on the counter. "You know, El, I think that Bruce likes you more than he lets on. I don't get that, people who pretend to hate something they clearly love. Especially something as cute as you."

She giggled when Fang patted her head. While he went to look for the mixer, Elizabeth stared down at the bowl of stuff. Didn't look much like a cake…

"Alright, little one, you need to get down," he said, picking her up and putting her on the floor.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to get scared of the mixer. It makes noises, remember? I don't want you to fall off the counter."

"No scare."

"Scared."

"No scare!" She hit Fang's leg.

"Ow, El. That hurts."

She wrapped her arms around his leg just as quickly, kissing his leg. "So'y."

"Sorry? Huh?" He reached down and patted her head. "It's okay."

Reached up, she moved her hands from his thigh to his basketball shorts. She liked the way they felt. "'ang?"

"Shhh. I have to do this first and then we can talk, okay?"

Elizabeth let him go before marching off over to under the kitchen table, where she hid from the noise of the electric mixer. When Fang finished, he called out her name.

"Elizabeth?"

"No."

"Are you sacred?"

"No."

"Then come out."

"No."

"I have something for you."

"No."

"You can eat it."

She jumped up from her spot on the ground and ran to him. "Wha'?"

"Here," he said, handing her one of the egg beaters, cake batter covering it. "Lick it."

Elizabeth smiled at him before doing so. She loved Fang.

* * *

"You made cake?"

Fang nodded. "For dessert."

"Great." Max rolled her eyes as her daughter ran to her to be picked up. "Hi, Liz."

She smiled at Max, showing off her teeth. She loved her mom. "Mommy."

"What?"

"Hi." She kissed her cheek. Elizabeth was a very loving toddler. So was Ethan. When Bruce was little though, Fang and Max both had too much going on. He could remember bits and pieces of back then and it was no wonder that their oldest wasn't fond of them.

One time he can remember, Bruce was probably three or four and Fang had promised him that he could go to the movies. Seeing as Max was at work, Fang's only goal that day was to make sure that he didn't get drunk so that he could drive to the theater. He made it to nine in the morning before he was wasted. Bruce cried to whole day. When Max got home, she flipped out at Fang, but what could be done? By then, it was ten at night. The movie time had passed.

"What's wrong with you?" Max asked Fang, taking in the look on his face. He shook his head.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing." He smiled a little. "I've started on dinner. It'll be ready by six. That's when the girl's coming, right?"

"We're not allowed to call her 'the girl'."

"No, you're not allowed to. I can say whatever I want."

"Sure. Why not? Bruce hates me, anyways."

"He does not. You're nicer to him than I ever have been."

"Don't I know it?" Max sighed a little before looking at the toddler in her arms. "All of them like you better. Even the one that isn't yours."

"Not mine? I knew that Ethan was Iggy's kid."

"Haha, Fang."

He smiled at Elizabeth. "Besides, Ellie is mine. My best friend."

"That's not creepy."

"It's not."

"I just said it wasn't."

"You were being sarcastic."

Max shrugged. "Maybe I don't understand sarcasm."

Fang just snorted before laying back down on the couch. "Put Elizabeth back down. We were watching TV."

"Barney?"

"I take what I can get. He's better than those aliens."

"Huh?"

"The aliens with TVs in their tummies."

"The Teletubbies?"

"I guess so."

"Noo-noo," Elizabeth giggled. "Nau'y Noo-noo."

"Whatever you're talking about," Fang said, frowning at her. "I don't even think she understands television."

"Does anyone?" Max sat the toddler on his stomach, making them both laugh. Elizabeth moved up to his face and kissed his nose.

"Elizabeth, stop."

After rubbing her face against his, she finally settled out and laid against his chest. "Nap?"

"Yeah, I guess it is naptime," Fang said, running a hand down her head. "Wanna stay in here? Or you wanna go sleep in your bed?"

"'ang?"

"I'm sleeping in here, on the couch."

She nodded, closing her eyes. She always wanted to stay with Fang. Always. Max took the remote from her boyfriend and sat down in the chair, sighing a little.

"I'm so tired today," Max told him after a few minutes. Ellie was sleeping now, so they had to whisper. Fang made a noise of agreement, but didn't say anything. So was he. Playing all day was tiring.

"You work out today?"

"No."

"You used to be consistent."

"Baby."

"She doesn't like to be called that. And don't blame her."

Closing his eyes, Fang said, "Distracting. Cake. TV. Dinner."

"Did you clean?"

"No."

"Hmmm. Did you-"

"Thought you were tired, Max?"

"I am."

"Couldn't tell."

She clicked her tongue before turning off the TV and walking away. Leaning down slightly, Fang whispered something In Elizabeth's ear before falling asleep.

* * *

"I'm gonna steal your girlfriend, I'm gonna steal your girlfriend," Ethan sang, bouncing around the living room.

"Chill, Ethan."

"Want me to sing to her? I wish I had Ethan's girl!" He stopped jumping. "See what I did there? I changed Jessie to my name so-"

"Ethan," Fang sighed. "Be quiet, okay? If you do, you're going to get a bigger piece of cake than everyone else."

Bingo. Ethan sat down on the floor, his mouth shut tight.

"Is that girl here yet, F-" Max stopped short as she came into the room and saw Bruce sitting on the couch. "I mean, is Sabrina here?"

"No." Fang rolled his eyes. "Where's the baby?"

"'ere," Elizabeth said, following behind her mom, a baby doll in her arms. She went and handed it to Fang.

"I was talking about you, but this one's good too."

Elizabeth climbed into his lap. "Dat my baby."

"Is it?"

She nodded her head. "Lil-a."

"Lily? That's a nice name."

Patting the baby's head, Elizabeth giggled. She loved her baby…today. She found it at the bottom of the toy box after naptime and now loved it. That's the way things work with her. Tomorrow, she'll probably lose it, but whatever.

Max rolled her eyes. "Anyways…What's wrong with Ethan?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's not talking. Baby, are you sick?"

He just shook his head, not speaking or moving otherwise.

"He's being quiet so that he can get cake," Fang said, smiling with pride at the fact he was the only one that could get his youngest to be quiet. Elizabeth giggled again, taking her baby doll from Fang so that she could cradle it.

"Your hair looks nice, Ethan," Max told the boy as she went to sit next to her oldest. "Why did you gel it?"

"He can't talk, remember?"

"He did it because he thinks that he's going to take my girlfriend," Bruce said, frowning slightly. "Don't be a brat when she gets here, Ethan, or else I hold a pillow over your face while you sleep."

Max hit Bruce in the back of the head. "Don't threaten your brother."

"He-" Bruce stopped talking as the door bell rang. Sabrina was here.

* * *

"So were you, like, named after the witch?" Ethan asked. "Because Bruce calls you that sometimes, only it starts with a different let- Ow!

Fang kicked his son under the table. "Cake looks good tonight, don't it, Ethan?"

"Yes," he said, looking back down at his plate. "Very good."

For dinner, Fang had made steak and baked potatoes. He was afraid of Ellie chocking on steak, so he gave her a piece bologna and a little bit of his bake potato.

"Toes, toes, toes," Elizabeth sang as she played with her food. Max rolled her eyes.

"Eat, Elizabeth, or else you won't get to finish dinner."

She made a face at her mother before eating some of her bologna. She didn't realize that the potatoes were food, only thought they were something to play with.

Fang watched Elizabeth, smiling at her the whole time. He thought that she was funny.

"You should come see Bruce coach sometime," Sabrina offered up when it was clear that no one else was going to talk.

"Coach? What are you talking about?" Fang asked because he knew that his girlfriend wouldn't speak directly to the girl.

"You didn't tell them? He coaches my brother's little league team. That's how we met."

"Little league…like baseball?" Fang looked at his son. "Why didn't you ever mention it?"

"I don't know."

"You guys have been dating a year, right?" Max looked at Bruce. "So you've coached something two years in a row and haven't mentioned it?"

"I guess not."

"When did you do it?"

Bruce was starting to get irritated. "I don't know, okay?"

"It was his community service, remember?"

"Ethan, shut up. I will beat the crap out of you if you don't," he threatened.

"Community…You mean that's why you coached?" Sabrina looked at her boyfriend.

"Well…last year, yeah. This year…your brother just asked me too again…it's not like I'm the real coach. Just the assistant."

"Is that where you go all the time?" Fang went back to his dinner. Well, his first dinner. "Should have said something. I'm sure Ethan would go and watch you."

"Don't just offer me up to do things, Dad. I have a life, you know."

"I meant go with me to go see him, Ethan."

"Oh." He smiled. "Yeah, we'd go see you. Cheer. You know, the works."

Sabrina laughed, making Ethan beam like usual. Bruce sent him a glare. Stupid little loser…

"If ya 'appy…hands!" Elizabeth clapped. "If ya 'appy…hands!"

"What's she doing?" Sabrina asked, watching the girl.

"Singing," Bruce sighed. "Elizabeth, we don't sing at the table."

"Maybe you don't, but she does. So do I. Wanna hear?" Ethan took a deep breath. "I wanna have Ethan's-"

"Enough. Now." Fang gave his youngest a look. "I mean, after all, you don't want to tire yourself out before you have cake."

Ethan froze. "Yes. Cake is good. I love cake."

"That's what I thought."

Max sighed. "Elizabeth, stop singing."

She looked at Fang for confirmation before closing her mouth. Ethan, taking in his sister's sullen mood, decided to cheer her up.

"Fluffacknopulas!" Ethan yelled.

Elizabeth began to laugh. What was a fulffacknopulas? Heck if Ethan knew. One day, he just started yelling random things until he figured out what made his sister laugh.

"That's it. No cake."

"What?"

* * *

It was late now. Fang was still in the kitchen, sitting at the table, drinking. Everyone else had gone to bed. Well, mostly everyone.

In the living room, Bruce and his girlfriend were making out on the couch. Bruce was supposed to have taken her home awhile ago, but he hadn't. They thought that Fang was also in bed, but he wasn't.

Taking another sip of Jack, he listened as Bruce whispered something to Sabrina, making her laugh. He shushed her before they got quiet again. They were probably kissing. He could tell when they broke apart because they were talking again.

"Why didn't you tell them?"

"About coaching? I didn't think they would care much."

"How could you say that? They're your parents."

"Not everyone gives a damn about what their kid is doing, Sabrina."

"Yes, they do."

"Mine are always absorbed in themselves. My mom's always sulking about something and my dad's always drunk."

"He wasn't drinking tonight."

"He'll make up for it tomorrow."

Or now. Fang finished the bottle and grabbed the Jameson he had sitting next to it.

"He seems nice."

"You don't know him."

"What do you mean?"

"He's…alright. I mean, he doesn't hit me or anything."

"But…?"

"He just…he's always so angry about shit. Like I'm the one that caused his life to get fucked up. I didn't. He, like, knows that he can't get to angry with my mom, because she'll kick him out again, so he just takes it out on me. He always has. I didn't lock him in that cage when he was little, but you'd think that I did."

Fang was too drunk to get out there and defend himself. It was amazing that he was even still awake, really.

"Fang? Are you in here?"

He lifted up his head a little. Max?

"Fan- What's going on in here?"

Fang could only listen as his wife yelled and Sabrina's parents were called to pick her up, but he wasn't complaining. He was sleepy.

About an hour later, Max made it to the kitchen.

"There you are. Your son as out there with that girl."

Fang squinted a little. "I didn't...I don't…bl…blame him….fo' shit."

"What are you talking about?"

"Liar. Bruce's a fuckin' liar. That's my boy, Max! 'member? Cry for him. Love 'im. My blood. My fucking blood!"

"Shut up. What are you yelling about?"

Fang closed his eyes tight. Bruce… "I love 'im, ya know?"

"Fang…what's wrong?"

He remembered everything. Like the time that he showed up drunk to Bruce's seventh birthday party and fell into the cake. The time that he was yelling so much that his throat bled and Bruce cried all night. The time that he…and then when he…or how about…

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he finally passed out. "So sorry."

* * *

"Why 'ang s'eepy? No s'eepy mine!"

"You mean time?"

"Yeah."

"Because he stayed up late last night."

"Oh."

Fang felt something crawl onto his back and poke his head.

"'ang! Up, 'ang!"

He groaned, not wanting to move from his spot on the bed. "El? Get off."

"She's happy to see you, Fang. Isn't that what you always tell me?"

"Bad night," Fang mumbled, keeping his eyes shut. "Let me rest."

"Nope. Get up. You work today."

He took a deep breath before reaching behind him and getting Ellie off him so that he could stand. The second he was up, she launched herself from the bed so that she landed in his arms.

"El, I have to go take a shower."

"No."

"Yes."

The toddler buried her head in his chest. "No."

"Here," Fang said, going to give the baby to Max. "I'll be back in a minute, okay? Go watch TV or play."

She whined in Max's arms, but Fang had to go shower if he was going to be on time for work.

When he got out, Fang went to go find Elizabeth to tell her goodbye.

"Ellie? Where are you?"

"'ang!"

He smiled, walking into her bedroom. "There you are. What are you doing?"

Ethan, who was sitting on the floor, said, "We're playing with toys."

"Is that what you're doing, Elizabeth? Huh?"

She giggled. "Yes."

"Good." Fang went and patted her on the head. "I have to go now, okay?"

"No. No go, 'ang."

"Yes."

"No."

He picked her up. "I'll see you when I get home."

She kissed his cheek. "Cake?"

"Yeah. I'll give you a big piece, okay? No one else gets any."

Ethan started to get annoyed. "That's not fair!"

"Ethan, I'm just playing with the-"

"You only ever spend time with her now. What about me? You used to play with me."

"Ethan, you're a big boy now. I don't have to spend every waking moment with you anymore."

"Yeah huh!"

"Ethan-"

"She's not even your baby. She's Ryan's. Why can't you play with me? Ryan don't spend no time with me."

"Ethan-"

"Just admit that you like her better."

Duh. Elizabeth cuddled deeper into Fang. Who didn't like her better?

"I do not, Ethan."

"Then do you like me better? I'm your son. I'm your kid. You have to. Remember?"

Gritting his teeth, Fang said, "Yes, Ethan. I love you, okay?"

"More?"

"Ethan…Yes, okay?"

The boy brightened. "Really?"

Fang didn't know. How do you judge love? He'd give anything for Ethan. He was his boy.

"Yes, Ethan. Is it that hard to believe?"

"Yes! We never do anything together anymore."

"Yes, we do."

"Not alone."

"We'll do stuff tomorrow, alright?" He walked out of the room, sighing as Elizabeth kissed his cheek. When he got to the living room, he handed the toddler off to her mother.

"I'll see you when I get home," Fang mumbled, kissing his girlfriend on the lips. "It'll be late."

"I'll wait up."

He nodded a little before leaving, ignoring Elizabeth's cries for a goodbye.

* * *

"Wait up my foot," Fang whispered under his breath as he came into the house. Max was sleeping on the couch, the light from late night television highlighting her features. He stood there for a moment before going to the kitchen to get something to drink. After drinking a little Jameson, he went back to Max.

Getting over her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek before laying on top of her. Max groaned, not enjoying the added weight.

"Fang."

"Hmmm?"

"You're crushing me."

"Can you breathe?"

"Yeah."

"Then you're fine."

"Then no."

"Max."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I waited up…for awhile."

"Good thing we're not out on the run. You couldn't keep watch for shit."

Moving so that their faces were touching, she said, "I've just been so tired recently."

"I'll bet."

"The kids aren't easy to handle all the time."

"It's because they don't respect you like they do me."

He could almost feel the eye roll.

"Yeah, sure, that's it."


	4. Chapter 4

Rebuild

Chapter 4

The first way that Max was going to improve her relationship with Bruce?

"Mom, please? Please, please, please?"

"Fine, Ethan, go play."

He ran away from the bleachers and toward the basketball courts on the other side of the park. Elizabeth made a face before climbing into her mother's lap. She had told her that they were here for Bruce. Where was Bruce?

The first few batters couldn't hit the ball to the save their life. In their defense, it's not like the pitcher was throwing them anywhere near them anyways. Eventually, though, the ball was hit hard enough to fly into the outfield. All the kids on the opposite team ran to it. Even the catcher and pitcher. The ones running the bases shrugged and all ran to home plate.

"What are you guys doing? Huh?" Two guys from the dugout came to break the kids up, who were now getting into a fight over the ball. "It doesn't matter! I thought that we went over this last game?"

"B'uce!" Elizabeth clapped her hands when she recognized her older brother. He was dragging the kids apart in the outfield, trying to help break up the fight. As he was dragging one girl back to the dugout, he saw them and frowned.

"Hi!" Elizabeth waved at him, standing up from Max's lap. She jumped up and down for a moment before getting bored with her brother and sitting back down.

The rest of the game went on much like this. Every time the ball came remotely close to a kid, the rest of his team would swarm him, wanting their piece of the action. It was cute to Max, but the parents of the kids that had probably suffered through this all season just groaned.

"Welp, Mom, I'm ready to go."

"Ethan, sit down."

Sighing, he sat down on the bleachers. "My friends left."

Reaching over, Elizabeth patted his sweaty head. He smiled at her before he noticed someone looking at them.

"Sabrina! Mom, it's my…well, Bruce's girlfriend."

"I see."

"Don't you wanna say hi or something?"

"No, not really." Come on, she was pushing her limits by just being here.

"Well, I am." He jumped up and ran off to go sit with her and her family. Max rolled her eyes heavily, making Elizabeth laugh.

When the game was over, Bruce walked right past Ethan and his girlfriend, headed higher up the bleachers to them, a frown on his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"B'uce!" Elizabeth launched herself at Bruce, giving him no option other than to catch her. He immediately sat her down though.

"We came to see you, Bruce."

"But why?"

Max returned his facial expression. "What do you mean why?"

"You never come to my stuff."

"That's not t-" Max stopped herself. She didn't want to fight with him. "Well, this is different, Bruce."

"Look, I just don't want you here." He stomped off then, headed over to Sabrina and her parents. Ethan tried to follow them out, but Bruce made him go back to Max.

"What's his problem?" Ethan asked, frowning.

Max ignored him, just grabbing Elizabeth and leaving.

* * *

"What's your problem?" Fang asked as Elizabeth ran to him. Max just slammed the door behind her.

"When'd you get home, Dad?" Ethan asked.

"Few minutes ago. Where'd you guys go?"

"To see your jerk of a son coach. Then he acted like an as…k me the question later, okay?"

"Okay…Well…What did he do that was so bad?"

"He basically told me that I can't come anymore. I thought that he wanted me too! Like I wanted to throw away my day at that stupid game!"

"Calm down-"

"I know _you_ aren't tell _me_ to calm down, Fang."

"Max-"

"You're just like him. Guess what, Fang? I don't care what you tell me to do, alright? Go to Hell."

And yes, she did make sure to slam the door behind her. So what?

* * *

Fang had taken the two kids somewhere when Max came back out of her room. She didn't know where and, honestly, she didn't care. She was about to go back into her room when the doorbell rang. Hoping it was Bruce so that she could go off on him too, she rushed to open it.

"Angel?"

"Max!"

Then came the bone crushing hug that would have made Fang roll his eyes.

"What's that noise?"

"Huh?" Max let her go, frowning. "Oh, My stereo. Nas. Hold on."

Max ran off to her bedroom to turn it off before coming back. "What are you doing here, Angel?"

"I came to see you. All of you." She looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know."

"Is the baby here at least?"

"Ellie? She's with Fang. So is Ethan, I think."

"Where's Bruce?"

"He's with his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

Max nodded. "And her family. They probably went out to eat or something. I'll bet that's where Fang took the other two."

"Why didn't he ask you to go?"

"We're…arguing, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Enough about that." Max nodded to the couch. "Let's sit. Talk."

Once they were sitting down, Max asked Angel how she had been and the younger woman began to tell of how she and her most recent fiancé broke up. She was in the middle of that long story when Fang came home.

"Fang!"

"Hey," he said, surprised by the woman, but he hugged her nonetheless. "What's going on, Angel? Everything alright? I haven't seen you in years."

"Everything's fine! That's why I came to see you."

Elizabeth ran past the woman she had never met and to her mother. She had a bag of fast food in her hand.

"For me?" Max asked to which the toddler nodded. "Thank you, Liz."

Normally she would have smiled, but at the moment, she was too concerned with the stranger in the room.

"Come here, Elizabeth," Fang called. Hesitant, but always one to listen to her friend, she ran to him, holding her arms out to be picked up. He did so, giving her a smile also.

"This," he said, directing her attention to Angel, who was greeting Ethan, "is Angel. Can you say hi?"

"No." She cuddled against Fang's neck.

"Yes, you can," he prompted.

"Hi," she whispered, not removing her head from the crook of his neck. Why was Fang trying to make her meet this woman? "Mommy."

Max got up and patted her baby on the back. "Sorry, Ange. She's normally not so shy."

Shy? Who was she calling shy? If Elizabeth knew what that meant and how to say it, she would deny it. But she didn't, so she just cuddled even more into Fang. She loved Fang.

"It's okay," Angel said after hugging Ethan, who really didn't know her that well either. Max took the toddler from Fang and gave her a kiss on the head.

"Sorry we didn't bring you any food," Fang told Angel as he went to sit down. "Didn't know you were here. Max has enough to share though, being as we brought her so much."

"That's alright. On a diet, actually."

Fang snorted and Max smiled. Diets…Kids these days…

* * *

Fang was able to wait until after putting Elizabeth to bed to start drinking. Max wasn't appreciative, but she didn't fight him. What would be a point? Drunks were drunks. If she hated it so much, she would have left him. Right? That's what he told her when she said anything.

At the moment, he was drinking at the table while Max sat next to him, typing on the computer. She was on facebook. Fang didn't get on his anymore since Max and him got back together. If you're not hooking up with different women, what's the point of talking to them?

After an hour or so, Max was closing down the laptop when Bruce came home. Finally. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Where have you been?" Max asked him as she closed the laptop lid. "You could try calling sometimes."

"I was with Sabrina. We went out to eat."

"Oh, and I'm sure her parents paid."

"Uh, yeah. They did."

"That was sarcasm," Fang told his son before taking another sip of Jameson.

"I know," Bruce said, searching for something in the refrigerator.

"You know, Bruce, I don't get the attitude."

"And I don't get yours."

"Mine is because you embarrassed me at that game!"

"How?"

"You yelled at me in front of people. You're lucky I didn't pop you one in the mouth."

She knew that he rolled his eyes; she just wasn't facing him to know for certain.

"What did you want me to do? I didn't ask you to come there. I didn't even tell you about it! Besides, you don't care."

Max was about done with his attitude. "How could you say that?"

"Mom, you were freaking there when the judge gave me community service!"

"I didn't know what they ended up assigning you to do!"

"Maybe you could have asked!"

"And maybe you could quit acting like no one gives a damn about you when you know that's not true!"

"Maybe it's not a fucking act!"

"Come say that again." Max stood up, staring hard at her son, who was now turned around, facing her. "Now."

His eyes were dark, but Max had seen darker in her own reflection.

It was quiet after he left. Fang kept drinking. Max sat back down and just stared at the wall.

"He loves us. So much."

Max glanced at her boyfriend and found that he had his head down on the table, arms stretched out.

"No, he doesn't. We messed up."

"We did. We just messed up the way he shows it."

"Sure shows it fine to that girl."

"You mean you haven't heard them argue?"

"No."

"Stay down here at night, when he's watching TV in the living room while talking on the phone. He's mean, Max. He's hateful."

"How?"

"Just the things he says. He goes off and…I don't know. You have to hear. The way he talks, the things he says. He's so filled with…hate. Remember last spring? When he tried to knife that kid? He's…bad."

"Drink more, Fang. Your words aren't slurred."

He gave Max a grimacing smile. "He's angry, Max."

"At what?"

"He doesn't know. Probably us, if we looked at it closely. We're not the best parents."

"We never said we were."

"I would think most kids would want that. Remember when we were young? We would dream about he perfect parents that we thought ours were. No one is perfect, but that doesn't stop others from dreaming."

"I tried. I went to that baseball game."

"And? That's one thing." He took a deep breath. "We both need to try harder. Maybe it won't work at first, but Max, we don't have that much time left with him at home with us. We need to use it better."

"I'm going to bed," she said, getting up and walking away. Fang just shook his head and drank more.

* * *

"Stop it, Elizabeth."

She blew another spit bubble, giggling when it popped, like most kids her age.

"I said stop!"

Whining, she cuddled against Fang's sleeping form, trying to hide from her mother. Groaning, Fang opened his eyes. It was the next day and they were all three in the bedroom.

"What's up, Max? You're being a real…bad word."

She raised an eyebrow. "Say it again."

"No thanks."

"Good."

"What's wrong though?"

Signing a little, Max stopped typing on the laptop to look at him. "It's just…I don't know. I went out to eat with Angel today and…We just talked. I miss her. She's not around anymore and that makes me think of how things'll go with Bruce if we don't fix it soon."

He looked down at Elizabeth, who was happily popping his fingers. "Bruce isn't like her. She got mad because Gazzy-"

"That's the point, Fang. If a blow up like that could happen just because you drank too much and got into a fight, imagine what could happen with Bruce."

"Max, I don't like playing pretend unless it's with Ellie."

"'ang," the toddler responded to her name. He patted her on the head, which made her laugh.

Sighing, Max went back to her laptop. "You need to get Ethan from school."

"Can't you? Me and Elizabeth are taking our nap."

"Elizabeth is about to go to Ryan's."

Fang groaned. "Fine."

"I'll go pick him up, I guess, since I have to drop her off anyways." Max shut the lid on the laptop before standing. "Come on, Lizzy. Tell Fang goodbye."

"No ."

"Yes."

"No."

"Elizabeth, stop it."

"No."

"Come here," Fang said, pulling the little girl to him. "I'll see you later, little one."

"No little," she said, pushing his face away before just giving in and cuddling against him.

"Can you say bye-bye?"

"Bye-bye," she said, patting his face. "Bye-bye, 'ang."

"See you later, alligator."

"Af'er dial, cock…pile."

"Fang."

"What? She's said it, not me."

* * *

"Hey, Ethan."

"Hey, Mom," he said, climbing into the front seat. He immediately glanced behind him. "Fluffacknopulas!"

Elizabeth squealed while her mother groaned.

"Ethan, can't you ever just behave?"

"I was making my sister happy. I love her, as you know."

"Yes, I am aware."

"Why's she here? Is Dad at work?"

"No. We're taking her to Ryan's."

Ethan sighed. "Goodbye, my dear Elizabeth. You will surely be missed. Maybe one day, I'll have to beat up the boys that you may have kissed. Until then, I shall severely miss you, my friend."

"…Did you just make that up?"

Giggling, Ethan said, "Yep. I make up rhymes for her all the time. Dear Ellie, I'm sorry if my fart was smelly. Look! You can crawl on your belly. Now let's watch Toy Story on the telly. Maybe even eats some peanut butter and jelly."

Max blinked. "Do you act this way at school?"

"Nope! I save it all up for when I get home."

Great…

When they pulled up to Ryan's mother's house, he was outside smoking.

"Hi, Ryan!"

He smiled at Ethan as the boy rolled down his window. Reaching in, he ruffled his hair before opening the passenger side door to get his daughter.

"You're going to keep her for a few days, huh?" Ethan sighed. "Bye, Elizabeth. I'll miss you."

"Bye-bye," she said, waving to her brother before cuddling against her father. "Mommy. Et'an."

He waved at her as her father took her into his house, away from them.

"I wish that we lived on a compound. Like a cult. Then Ryan could live with us and we would all be happy."

Again, Max could only blink. "Yeah, Ethan. Compound. Cult. Whatever."

He sighed, leaning his head against the window. "Maybe Bruce wouldn't have to come into the cult. I don't think he'd like it much. And you can't hit."

"Hit?"

Her youngest son nodded. "Yeah."

"Ethan…does he hit you?"

"Yeah. When we fight."

"Fight?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I make him angry."

"What?"

"Mom, you hear him. He always says that he's going to do it."

"…You guys are just playing though, when he hits you? Right?"

"I guess so…"

When she got to a red light, Max looked at the boy. "Ethan…does he hurt you?"

"Mom, no. Leave me alone."

"Ethan-"

He huddled against the car door. "Don't say I said nothing. He might get mad."

* * *

Max was waiting for Bruce when he got home.

"You're late."

"No."

His mother frowned. "Bruce, Ethan told me something today."

He walked further into the house. "Ethan says a lot. You're gong to have to be more specific."

"Bruce…Have you hit your brother?"

The way that he didn't pause made Max a little relieved.

"No. I mean, you've seen us. Play wrestling and stuff."

Max smiled a little, following him into the kitchen. "Good. I mean, he was just talking and-"

"I'm telling you, Mom. You know Ethan. He likes to make up stories, glorify things."

"Yeah."

Fang, who was drinking at the table, looked up. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," Bruce answered and Fang let it go. He had been more lenient towards their oldest recently, but Max couldn't figure out why. Walking behind her boyfriend, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into an awkward hug.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

She kissed the side of his head. "Is it working?"

"No."

"Then no."

She just held him tighter. "Where'd you go today, Bruce? Not more baseball, right?"

"I was just with Sabrina."

"That's cool," Fang said when it was his clear that his girlfriend was going to keep her mouth shut on the subject. "Max, do you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"I'm trying to drink here."

She thumped his head before going off into her own bedroom. It wasn't until around one in the morning that she woke up.

"Mom!"

Shooting up, she took a second to figure out what was going on before rushing to the place she heard the pleas for help. Ethan's room.

"What? What's wr- Bruce!"

He was slugging his brother in the face, over and over. The seventeen year old had the ten year old pinned the ground with one fist, the other pounding into his face.

"What's wrong?" Fang came drunkenly stumbling in behind Max. He had fallen asleep in the kitchen and probably thought that he was in the middle of one of his nightmares. When he saw Bruce on Ethan, he jumped at the older boy.

"What the Hell do ya think you're doin'?" Fang shoved his oldest to the ground while Max grabbed Ethan.

"Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, but Max could tell otherwise. Clearly, Bruce had never hit his brother like this before.

"Fang, stop."

He glanced at Max before back at their oldest. "Get your ass up."

Bruce stood slowly as Ethan moved to hide behind Max. She always knew that he was afraid of his older brother, she just figured it was for the reasons that they all were.

"We were just fighting," Ethan said. Fang snorted. Max could tell that he wasn't completely gone and was sober enough to help.

"You're a boy, Ethan. He's nearly a man. That's not fighting. That's bullying," Fang stood up straighter. "Go to your room, Bruce."

"B-"

"Now."

He ran off, leaving the three of them. Fang went over to his youngest and stared at him.

"He's been hitting you, your mom said earlier."

"Not hard."

"Lift up your hands."

Uncertain, but compliant, Ethan did so. Max watched as Fang lifted up the boy's shirt, revealing healing bruises.

"Ethan…why didn't you tell me?"

"He's my big brother. We fight. He says sorry when he hurts me real bad. He ain't ever hit me in the face before tonight. He was just mad that I told Mom. Real mad."

Max stroked the boy's head as Fang let the shirt fall. They shared a look, but neither wanted to.

"Ethan, that's not wrestling. That's him taking advantage of you," Max said, frowning. "Bruce is…sick."

"How?"

"He just is."

Fang picked the ten year old up and carried him over to his bed. "Lay down and rest. We'll be back in a minute. You want ice or something?"

"No."

Fang led Max to Bruce's room, where the teen was laid out on his bed, facing the wall. Max could tell that Fang was too angry to speak, so she began.

"Bruce…how long have you been hitting him like that?"

"Once. Today."

"I know, the face. I meant…like that. He had bruises."

"Kids fall."

"Not like that."

Bruce didn't turn around to face them. "I ain't hurting him that bad or else he'd have cried to y'all a long time ago. He's fine. You have to get hit sometimes. Huh, Dad?"

Max looked at Fang, but he wasn't looking at her either.

"You got whoopings. That's different."

"You don't ever hit Ethan."

"Whoop. I don't whoop him. And I don't need to." Fang took a deep breath. "Since day one, Bruce, you've caused me shit. You always are mean to other kids. Even when you were a toddler. You've been in more fights than I can count, you attack anyone, you hit your mom-"

"Once," Max mumbled.

"-you bring weapons to school, you get suspended, you do God knows what with your girlfriend all day, and now you've attacked Ethan. You've been attacking Ethan. Damn it, Bruce, he's a kid!"

"And? I don't hit him that hard."

"What? You use him to take your aggression out on? Huh? Man? Huh? Come hit me, punk."

Max put a hand on Fang's arm, wanting to calm him.

"Bruce, you don't hit your brother. Ever." She stared right at her son. "You've never…touched the baby, have you?"

"How fucking stupid would that be?"

"How fucking stupid was it to hit Ethan? Very." Fang shook his head. "Pretty soon, boy, you're going to be a man. Next time the cops come to the door, you won't be with them. No more juvie. You're about to be eighteen. And I sure ain't bailing you out. If I ever catch you touching him again…Damn it, Bruce, I'll beat the shit out of you myself."

"Wouldn't be the first time, right?"

"Yeah, it would."

Fang left the room while his girlfriend stayed. She stared at her son's back, not wanting to move.

"Bruce…you could have hurt him."

"Mom, it's not even that serious. He's drunk. He's flipping you. You always flip out. You're all overreacting."

"You don't touch him, Bruce. He's still a baby."

"Why wasn't I a baby back then?"

"Maybe we fucked you over, Bruce, but that doesn't give you the right to hurt him. I would never let someone hurt you. I never did. Did I?"

"No."

"Then there." Max turned and walked back out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

When she got back to Ethan's room, his father was in bed with him, holding the boy to him. Ethan didn't seem to be enjoying the closeness, but Fang did.

"You want me to stay?"

"No, Dad. You can go now."

"Ethan, don't act like that. I'm just making sure that you're alright."

"I'm fine. Bruce ain't that tough."

"Hey," Fang said, making his youngest look at him. "Ethan, why didn't you tell me, huh? You tell me when someone is fucking hitting you."

"You cursed."

"Yeah, I know."

Max walked further into the room and they both finally saw her. Ethan pushed Fang's arms off him, not wanting to seem like a baby in front of his mother.

"Are you okay?" Max had ice with her now after making a stop at the kitchen. "Let me see your face."

"Mom, n-"

"Yes, Ethan." She took his face into her hands and made him look up at her. "He hit you bad in the eye…you're going to have a black eye."

"Max, you think he needs a doctor?"

"No," Max said, putting the ice on her son's eye. "There, Ethan. Hold that against your eye. Does your body hurt?"

"No, Mom. I like bruises. Then I can poke them."

"…Okay. That doesn't mean…Well…Fang."

"Ethan, Bruce isn't going to hit you anymore."

The boy whined. "You guys are going to make him mad."

"You don't have to worry about that, Ethan. Bruce is too old to be fighting with you like that," Max said.

"Not a fight," Fang snorted. "It's an assault! Ethan can defend himself against Bruce."

"Fang."

"No." He pulled Ethan to him. "You're not angry enough about this, Max."

"Kids fight."

"They are seven fucking years apart."

"Okay, the cursing time has passed."

"Max, what if Ethan was beating up Ellie like that? Huh? No. It's no different."

"And I talked to Bruce, Fang. What else do you want?"

"I don't want him coming near Ethan again."

"Fang, when we were young, there were times that you fought Gasman."

"I never gave that boy a black eye, Max."

Ethan pushed his father away. "I'm going to sleep. You can leave now."

Fang kissed his son's head before standing. When they got to their bedroom and were both laying in bed, a weird silence overcame them. Then, Fang broke it with anger.

"Damn it, Max! How could you stick up for that boy?"

"That boy? You mean your son? Remember what you were crying the other night? Your blood. He has your blood. He's you, Fang. He's mean spirited."

"Are you calling me mean?"

"I'm calling you angry. Your son is angry. It's your fault."

"I haven't done shit to Bruce."

"To? Don't you mean for?"

"Don't you dare, Max. I take care of that boy."

"Fang, I could count off the top of my head the times that you put Bruce in danger because of your drinking."

"Not in the last year."

"Ooh, you want a medal?"

Fang got out of bed and left the room. Max went back to sleep.

* * *

"Wha'?" Elizabeth patted the present before her. "My?"

Max nodded. "Yes."

Angel smiled a little. "It's for your birthday, since I didn't send you anything."

"What about me?" Ethan asked as his mother helped Elizabeth open the present. Angel was leaving today and had stopped by with gifts for the kids.

"Of course you have one too, Ethan." She handed him a bag.

"Look, Lizzy, it's a bear." Max made the stuffed toy rub against her daughter's face. "You like bears. And look, she got you a tiger. Rawr. Can you sound like a tiger?"

Giggling, she reached out and ran her hands across the stuffed animals. "Waw."

"Rawr."

"Waw."

"Rawr."

"Waw."

"Ra-"

"Oh my God!"

Max turned her vision to Ethan. "What? What's wrong?"

The boy was seemingly speechless for probably the first time in his life. That faded quickly, of course.

"Oh my God!"

"Ethan, what?" Max moved closer to him. When she saw what he had, she took a step back. "Oh dear God."

"Oh my God!"

Elizabeth finally became concerned with her brother after his sporadic outbursts. "E'tan?"

"Look!" He held out his new most prized possession to his little sister. "Toy Story 3! But Dad and Mom said it wasn't real, that everyone else was lying. Thank you, Angel! I love you so much!"

His excitement made Elizabeth so excited that she had to go potty. Max was thankful for the excuse to leave to take the girl to the bathroom.

"But, Mom, we have to watch the movie."

"Start it without me."

"Ellie don't need you to go pee. She's potty trained."

"Well…Yes…Uh…Just start it. You know. Sometimes she gets confused," Max said hurriedly as she ushered Elizabeth to the nearest rest room.

"Mommy pee-pee too?" Elizabeth asked as she walked into the bathroom.

"No. Mommy just needs to get away from your brother."


	5. Chapter 5

Rebuild

Chapter 5

"Dad. Dad. Wake up."

He grunted.

"Dad, it's the first day of summer. You have to get up."

"No."

"Yes. We have very big plans, don't we? I do. Next year, I will be in the 5th grade. No more little kid stuff! I'm getting old. Pretty soon, I'll, like, only be able to watch Toy Story once a week! And with number three in the new rotation, I just don't know what I'll do. So, we're going to have to cram a lot of stuff in these few months, alright? It all starts with you getting up though. The Toy Story. After that, we'll just go from there."

Fang peeked an eye open. "You done?"

"If you get up."

"Then I guess I'll get up."

When he got to the living room, Elizabeth was already there, Buzz and Woody toys next to her.

"You guys are prepared," Fang said, frowning a little.

"Yep." Ethan went and sat on the floor next to his sister and dolls. "Can you put it in, Dad?"

Groaning, Fang did so before laying down on the couch.

"Don't' sleep," Ethan warned. "You have to stay awake."

"Okay, Ethan. I'll stay awake."

About ten minutes into the movie, Fang fell back asleep. Oh well.

* * *

Max was very into making out recently for some reason. Fang made no complaints.

"Ew."

Max pulled her face away from Fang's and glanced behind them, at the bedroom door. "What, Ethan?"

He cleared his throat. "I need to talk to Dad."

Fang sighed. "About what?"

"How come you left me and Ellie out there to watch Toy Story 3 alone?"

"Ethan, I watched the other two with you."

"And?"

"Me and your mom are…busy."

"Still. You promised, Dad! This is going to be the best summer ever, right?"

"Right."

"Then come on."

"No, Ethan."

"Fine!" He slammed the door behind him. Max sighed before going back to Fang's lips, bit only for a quick peck.

"Go play with the kids."

"Max, I don't want to watch that movie again."

"I did say to. Tell him I will tomorrow and today you are going to take him to the park. Elizabeth too."

"But…" Fang looked her in the eyes. "I kind of liked what we were doing."

She just kissed him again. "Go."

* * *

"Can you play with the other kids?" Fang asked Elizabeth as he sat her down in the sandbox. "I'll be right over there with Ethan."

She nodded before making another kid in the sandbox hand over their shovel. His little angel…

"Dad, are you even watching?" Ethan whined a minute later. Fang was sitting on the ground, staring at Elizabeth while Ethan was shooting baskets. Fang had seen all those cops shows. You can't stop watching your baby. It ain't the fifties!

"Yeah, Ethan."

"No. Why did you bring Elizabeth? I thought that you and I were going to play?"

"Shhh," he said, frowning when a bigger kid came and took the shovel that Elizabeth stole from her. She pushed the other kid down before jumping up and looking around. When she saw Fang, she ran for him.

"Home," she whined, cuddling into his arms.

"Were they mean to you?"

"Dad, she freaking stole something and then had to give it back."

"Shush, Ethan."

Elizabeth patted his face. "'ang, home?"

"No. We have to stay and let Etha- Ow!"

"Sorry," Ethan said. His ball had bounced off the rim and hit his father. "Though, that is the reason you shouldn't just be sitting on the court."

As Fang rubbed his head, he thought of the millions of ways that he could destroy his son's Buzz toy.

* * *

Bruce worked now. Fang liked it better that way. After what he was doing to Ethan, Fang thought that it was better if they both avoided each other for awhile. That's what life becomes after awhile. Staying near people for a time and then avoiding them after something goes wrong. It was the way of life.

"B'uce?" Elizabeth stopped mashing up her dinner when she realized that, once again, her big bubba wasn't eating dinner with them.

"He's not here right now," Max told her, smiling a little. "Aren't you happy, Lizzy? Eating at the table? Huh?"

No. She looked at Fang and they shared a similar look. Mommy was taking this family togetherness thing to a whole new level. It had been that way since they found out that Bruce was beating on his younger brother. Fang didn't mind it, but that's not to say that he was a strong supporter either.

"I'm here, Elizabeth."

She knew, Ethan. Oh, she knew. Fang patted his friend on the head, making her giggle.

"Maybe he'll be home before you go to bed, little one."

"No little!"

"No yelling," Max said, going back to her dinner. "Behave, Elizabeth."

The toddler made a face at Fang for getting her in trouble, but he just smiled. Ethan sighed, pushing his food around his plate.

"Mom? Do you work tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"I kind of wanted to spend the day with you. You know, make you a part of the super awesome summer…"

"I'll play with you the day after tomorro-"

"That is an amazing movie!"

Max made a face. "No yelling. And I thought I told you that you couldn't watch that movie?"

"Y…I…I didn't. I was just figuring, that's all."

"Hmmm." Max looked at Fang, but he was suddenly a little too busy with his first dinner. He planned on eating another five tonight.

"No mo." Elizabeth jumped out of her seat and went to climb into Fang's lap. "Bat?"

"You mean bath?"

She nodded as he let her eat one of his fish sticks. "Bat?"

"Soon." He hugged her to him. "After I eat. Unless you want to give her one, Max."

"No, I'm good."

"Fine then." Fang finished quickly and then went into the nightly rituals that involved putting the toddler to bed. He was about done with the bedtime story when Bruce walked into Ellie's room.

"Mom wanted you to know-"

"B'uce!" Elizabeth fought Fang, but he wouldn't let her go. "'ang! B'uce!"

"I see."

His oldest cleared his throat. "Mom told me to come tell you that she needs you."

"For what?"

"I don't know. I'm going to bed."

"Bye-bye. Goo'nigh'," Elizabeth called after her big brother. Ah, how obsessed he was with her. It was so hard to keep him from just spending everyday with her.

Fang finished the story and tucked his best friend in before going to find his girlfriend. When he made it to the kitchen, he was suddenly pounced upon by her, causing Fang to fall back until the counter held him up. Instinctively, he reached under her and held her body up, not wanting her to fall. Max wrapped her legs around him before leaning down to initiate the kiss.

"What are you doing?" Fang asked when she pulled back.

"What do you think?"

"Where's Ethan?" Fang asked as he shifted a little.

"In bed."

"This soon?"

"He's tired from the weird summer awesome thing." Max leaned down to his ear. "I want you, Fang. So bad."

"Why did you have Bruce come get me?"

"Sometimes you take too long, putting Ellie to bed and stuff. You like to talk to her. I didn't want you to tonight."

He kissed her neck. "I haven't started drinking yet."

"And whose fault is that?"

Groaning, Fang carried her to the bedroom. When they got there, Fang deposited her on the bed before going to lock the door. Once that was done, he did a running jump, landing next to her on the bed. Max was laughing, which made Fang happy, but suspicious.

"What's up with you?" He asked as he pulled off his t-shirt. "Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you been smoking or drinking or something? You're not you."

Max sat up a little so that he could pull off her shirt. "I'm me. Unless I'm not."

"Hmmm. Mystery, eh?"

"How will you tell if I'm me or not? I could be a clone."

"Maya now, are you?" Fang paused at her bra, if only to keep the game going. "What's the problem?"

"If I'm not me, will you still sleep with me?"

"How would I know if you're you or not?"

"Figure it out."

"If it's not you, then you'll never have to know. And if it is you, I didn't do anything wrong."

"No. If it is me, then I'll be mad that you thought that you were possibly sleeping with someone else."

She was making his head hurt.

"What if I ask you something that only the real you would know."

"Shoot."

He thought for a second. "What question did I ask you the night after you told me that you were pregnant with Bruce?"

She made a face. "You asked if I would lay an egg."

"What else?"

"Then you said it would be funny if I shit myself while giving birth."

Smiling, Fang leaned down and kissed her. "You're my Max."

"Am I?"

He undid her bra. "Yep."

"Are you for sure?"

"Hmmm…One more question."

"What?"

"What happened while we were in Mexico when we were twenty five?"

"A donkey kicked you in the balls when you got drunk in the middle of the night and went outside. You thought that you were going to be sterile."

"You are good." He leaned down and kissed her. "My good Max."

"Good? That's a first, but I'll take it." She reached down to pull off her jeans. "Hey, Fang?"

"Hmmm?"

"After this…can you go get me some ice cream from the kitchen?"

Sex in exchange for ice cream? Where was this option his whole life?

* * *

Fang yawned a little, changing the channel on the TV. There was nothing on today. There was never anything on, really. Elizabeth was with Ryan and Ethan went with Max to the store. Store. What kind of awesome summer plan was this?

After turning off the television, Fang laid back on the couch and closed his eyes to sleep. He was only like that for a moment when he heard yelling. Frowning, he opened his eyes and looked around. Who was that?

"-you're a jerk, Bruce!"

"Me? I'm the jerk? Yeah, I'll pretend like that's possible."

Rolling his eyes at Bruce and Sabrina, Fang laid back down, his eyes slipping closed again, the sound of them fighting in the kitchen lulling him to sleep.

"Bruce, how could you even do that?"

"Do what? I didn't fucking sleep with her."

"You might as well have."

"Well, if you want me to, I'll gladly take your suggestion. Wouldn't want to make you upset."

Fang groaned. When did the girl get here anyways? Bruce must have snuck her in, because in there was no way in Hell that Max allowed her in. No way.

"Too fucking late."

Bruce started to yell again. Then Sabrina yelled back. Fang opened his eyes just in time to see her storm out of the house.

"Trouble in paradise?" He asked his son, who just stood there. Bruce just stood there, shaking. Closing his eyes again, Fang said, "You know, if you slept with someone else, it's probably best to just fess up."

"I didn't sleep with her."

"Hm. How disappointing."

"What?"

Fang shrugged. "What fun is there in high school if you're going to spend it with one person, Bruce?"

"You never went to high school."

"My point exactly. Look what happened to me and your mom a few years back. You can't know that you're with the right person unless you've been with the wrong ones before."

"Oh, so you're with the right one."

Fang snorted. "Who else would let me drink every night? The person I'm supposed to be with. You just need a woman that can fight back and hit you when you hit her."

"I don't hit Sabrina."

"I'm sure."

"I don't."

"I know. You will though. I can tell."

"Oh, whatever."

"Yep. And when you're being hauled off the jail, you can blame it all on me. Since, you know, I apparently blame you for shit. Right, Bruce?"

His son's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what."

"No, clearly not."

"I blame you for my life, right? Huh?" Fang sat up. Okay, so maybe he had snuck in a few morning sips of Jack. So what? "That's what you tell that girl, right? Right? Guess what, Bruce; I don't think you ruined my life. I know that you didn't. I also know, though, that you sure haven't improved it. Ungrateful bastard."

"Oh, I'm ungrateful?"

"Yeah, you are."

"For what? What the fuck have you done that Mom couldn't have done on her own, without you?"

"A lot!"

"Name one thing. She fucking pays for all the shit I need, not you. All your money goes to fucking beer."

"Whiskey!"

"Whatever."

"You know, Bruce, I gave up a lot to have you."

"What? Not being able to travel to other countries to get drunk? Give me a break."

"Stupid child. That's all you are. I should have hit you harder back then. Hit you more."

"So now you admit that it was hitting? Not spanking? Whooping?"

"Same difference."

"Right."

"You're spoiled, Bruce. You think that you're so disadvantaged, but your not."

"Sorry that I didn't get my ass locked in a cage. That's what you wanted, right? Then I would have grown up cultured like you, right? Strong? A man?"

"I don't want you to be a man. I refuse to accept that you ever will be one. The fact that someone so…childish could one day be a man shocks me."

"I'm more of a man than you'll ever be."

"Is that so?" Fang sneered at his son, his blood, his baby. "Your ass wouldn't be here without me."

"Sticking your cock in a cunt don't make you shit."

"I meant saving the world, boy. And don't you ever talk about your mother like that. Disrespectful little brat."

Brat. Bruce snorted. "Go fuck yourself."

"Could say the same to you!"

Bruce slammed the door on his way out, leaving Fang alone, what he wanted from the beginning.

* * *

When Fang woke up, he felt someone stroking his hair. Opening his eyes, he saw Max above him, sitting on the armrest of the couch.

"Max?"

"Are you okay? Bruce said that you two fought."

"Just sleepy."

"Good."

Then, shocking him, Max thumped his head.

"Ow."

"Don't fight with my son."

"Our son. And I can do what I want."

She thumped him again. Fang rubbed his head, frowning.

"You are really starting to annoy me," he said.

"Then I guess I'm doing my job."

"Guess so." He closed his eyes again. "Is Ethan home?"

"No. He went to a friend's house."

"Ellie's still gone?"

"Yep."

Fang sighed. "Yup."

"Yep."

"Yup."

"Yep."

"Yup."

She leaned over him and gave him a kiss. "Yep."

Smiling a little, he one more time said, "Yup."

Max kissed his head before getting up. "I'm going to do laundry."

"'kay," Fang said, yawning a little before falling back asleep.

* * *

"I hope that Elizabeth knows that I love her."

Fang glanced at his son. "She should. You say it enough."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah."

Elizabeth, who was napping in the middle of the bed, whined at the sound of their voices. Fang rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was a few days later and Fang couldn't help, but to wish for rain. That's all he wanted. For it to rain a flood, cool off the town. It was so freaking hot.

"When's Mom gonna be home?" Ethan asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Soon, I hope. She's bringing lunch."

"Good. I'm hungry."

"I know. You've told me."

Laughing, Ethan went back to patting his sister's head. She whined until Fang made him stop.

"Fine! Then I'll go play in my room."

Finally. Fang opened his eyes when Ethan left and turned over to see if Elizabeth was okay. Now awake thanks to her brother, she was fussy because she was so hot. Fang felt bad for her.

"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" He asked.

Whining, she moved away from him. "'ot."

"You're hot? Me too." Reaching over, he pushed her hair out of her face. "It's okay though. Just take a nap."

"No!"

"Shhh." He closed his eyes again. "You're fine, Ellie. Just hot."

"No!"

"Just go to sleep, okay?"

"No, 'ang!"

"Well, I am, so you do what you want."

Fang laid there, forcing himself to stay awake until the baby drifted off. He felt like they had only been sleeping a few minutes when Max came into the room.

"Food," she told her boyfriend as she came to pick up the toddler. "Fang. Food."

He just groaned, waving her off. After about ten minutes, he got up to go eat.

"Where's Bruce?" Max asked, handing him a bag of burgers.

"Don't know."

"Fang."

"I've been in bed with the kids all day. Probably with his girlfriend."

Max sighed as she followed Fang into the living room, where Ethan and Elizabeth were already eating.

"'ang."

"Hey, Ellie," he said, smiling at her as he sat down on the couch. "What are you doing?"

The toddler, who was on the ground, jumped up to go sit in his lap, but Max made her sit back down and finish her food. Ethan smiled at Fang.

"After this, you wanna play Mario Kart?"

"Yeah, sure," Fang said, glancing at Max. "You're not going anywhere are you?"

"No. Why?"

"So I'm not home alone with the kids anymore, right?"

"Yes, but w-"

Getting up, he went and got a bottle of whiskey before returning. When Max saw that, she got up and walked out of the room, towards their bedroom.

"What's Mom's problem?" Ethan asked. Fang just shrugged. She said that he couldn't drink when eh was alone with the kids. If she was there, he wasn't alone with them. What was the issue?

"I dunno," Fang said. Elizabeth, seizing the fact her mother was now absent, gave Ethan the rest of her food before running to over to come get in her friend's lap. "Hey, Lizzy."

"Hi," she said, cuddling against him. Fang's bag burgers, which was sitting next to him on the couch, suddenly attracted the attention of the baby. "My?"

"You're the one that gave your food away," Fang complained as he ripped a piece off one of the burgers and gave it to her. "There. That's all you're getting th- Elizabeth!"

His loud voice made her upset. Her dropping her burger all over his lap didn't help though.

"God." He lifted her up and sat her on the ground. "You got ketchup all over me. Great. Thanks, Elizabeth. Thanks."

Ethan frowned. "Don't yell at her. She didn't do nothing."

"Shut up, Ethan." He groaned. "Max! Come watch your kids."

"What's wrong?" Max asked when she got out there. Immediately, she went and picked up Elizabeth. "What happened?"

"She spilt her burger on him and then he started getting mad," Ethan said.

"What's wrong, Fang?" Max asked, noting Ethan's extra food. "And who gave Ethan so much food?"

"Nothing's wrong," Fang said, getting up to go change. "I just…I need more to drink, I guess."

Max let him walk away, which Fang was glad for. When he got to the bedroom, he changed out of his jeans and into a part of basketball shorts before going back to finish his lunch.

"No," Elizabeth whined when he tried to pat her on the head. "No."

Sighing, he sat back down on the couch. 'Thanks for cleaning up, Max."

She shrugged. "If you're going to be mean, at least apologize after."

"Max, I didn't do anything. She just started crying."

"You just don't start crying."

"She does."

"Fang."

"Max."

"And why did you let her give her food to Ethan?"

"I was going to share with her, but then she went and fucking spilled the burger all over me."

"Language, Fang."

"My house, Max."

"Oh, no it's n-"

"No yell 'ang!" Elizabeth pushed away from her mother to get into Fang's lap. She was over him being mean to her now and wanted to comfort the man. "No mean 'ang."

"Yeah," Fang agreed as Elizabeth cuddled against him. "Don't be mean to me, Max."

"I am so done," she told them all before walking off. Fang picked up his bottle of whiskey from the coffee table and took a drink. "Mommy sucks."

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed as Ethan began to protest. One look from his father shut that right up.

* * *

By the time night fell, Fang was fall over drunk. Just the way he liked it. Max, not so much. Who cared what she thought though? Not Fang. Never Fang. Bah! Who needed Max?

"Max, I wan' ya so bad. Scratch that, I need ya so bad."

Maybe he did. Maybe.

She pushed him off. "Stay on your side of the bed, Fang."

He groaned. "Sex. I wan' sex!"

"Shhh. Just be quiet, okay?"

"Then sex?"

"Maybe."

Fang cuddled into his pillow. It was cold, making him smile. "Love you."

"I know you do," Max said, going back to the laptop. "Sleep."

"Wha' 'bout sex?"

"Soon. I promise."

Fang closed his eyes tight, praying for sleep. After all, Max did promise. Who broke promises?


	6. Chapter 6

Rebuild

Chapter 6

"Damn, Max, you stunk it up."

The woman elbowed her boyfriend as they passed each other, her headed out of the bathroom and him into it.

"Shut up."

"What? You did."

"I'm a girl, Fang. I don't shit."

"You could fool me." With that, he shut the door so he could shower. Max shook her head, heading out of their bedroom and into the living room. Today, Ethan was gone and Lizzy was with her father. As Bruce was nowhere to be found, Max and Fang were getting to spend some quality time together. Great.

"Ma-ax! I'm horny."

Groaning, she turned the TV up louder. It was about thirty minutes later and she was trying to nap. No such luck as her boyfriend came into the room.

"Did you not hear me? No one home, hard dick, unmade bed. What are you doing? Come on." Fang strode into the room, only in his boxers. "What are you doing?"

"Busy."

"Well, I want to get busy, so…What are you watching?"

"A documentary on our lives," she said, opening her eyes again to look at the screen. "Damn, I used to be skinny."

"Don't I know it," he said, which got him hit, but it was worth it. After rearranging themselves on the couch so that Max was laying with her head in his lap, they both tuned back to the television, where their blind flock member was doing an interview.

"I don't really think it was hard, growing up. I mean, it was, but none of us knew that there was a life outside of the school," the man went on. Max had never seen the interview before, but knew it was a few years after the world was saved by Iggy's haircut.

"Iggy looks like a fag with his hair long."

"You can't say that word, Fang. And be quiet."

"I'm a man. I can say what I want," Fang mumbled, frowning.

"You know, it's like…until we were out of the school, life seemed pretty okay. I spent every day with my best friends. Who could want more than that? Now, most of us don't even talk or at least not regularly. I love those guys. All of them. They were the only family I knew and I wish that I could have that back. Now more than ever."

"How come you never did any interviews?" Fang asked Max as the show went to commercial.

"I did. A few. With you."

"I meant after Bruce was born."

"Why didn't you?"

He sighed a little. "I guess…I didn't want people to know what I was. A drunk. I mean, they knew, but…I wanted people to think that I cleaned up. For my son. Then Gasman had to go and ruin it by coming out about our fight."

"That'll probably be in the documentary," Max told her boyfriend after pressing the info button on the remote. "This was made this past year."

"Fun."

She patted his leg. "It's alright, Fang. You're a douche whether people know it or not."

"What about you, Max?"

"Are you asking if I d-"

"No. I mean, you do r…anyways, what I meant was, why don't you do interviews?"

She sighed a little, closing her eyes. "You know."

"No."

"It's…What have I done with my life, Fang? Nothing. I don't want people to know that I haven't done shit."

"You have too. You're dating me! What more could a woman do?"

The show returning stopped her from responding. For a little, they went into detail about Angel's many failed relationships. Many. Then, Max and Fang's came into light.

"After Ride gave birth to two boys, she and her long time boyfriend, Fang, split for a few years. During that time, she fell in with another man."

"Oh my fucking God. He didn't." Max sat up, staring hard at the television. Fang bit his lip to quit from laughing as Ryan came up on screen.

"You know, her and him were never really good for each other. He was a drunk. She told me all about it. He's been pulled over for DWI many times, but always gets off because people recognize him," Ryan said, making Fang frown. Gee, you'd think that getting out of tickets was a bad thing.

"I can't believe him," Max fumed as her ex went on.

"Me and her had a good thing. A fling. She was using me, you know? She wanted someone to take care of her for a little while, until she was ready to be treated like crap again. He was ready to take her back too. He likes pushing her around and she likes taking it from him. It's sick, you know?"

"He's so dead. I mean, dead. Dead. I can't believe he never told-"

"Shhh, Max. Look, he's off." Fang leaned back a little. "Lay back down. They're talking about me now."

"Ride's long time boyfriend, Fang, has been known to have a problem with drinking," the narrator went on as they showed picture after picture, still shot after still shot of him angry or yelling. An interview came up after a minute or two, Fang alone for once. He was clearly inebriated, but in enough control to speak.

"My, uh, yeah, uh, Max is pregnant. My girlfriend, she is. Yeah. Mine, the baby is. Yes."

"Do you know the sex of the child yet?"

"Sex? Yeah, that's how we got the baby." The younger Fang on screen laughed. "I pers…on…at…ed…ly think that, uh…I love her. Ya know? Our baby. I love it. Haven't met. Yet. Will. Love it. My baby."

The narrator spoke again, saying, "Other times, the drunk wasn't as nice."

"How could you fucking do this to me?" The Fang now on screen raved at Max during an interview. Max remembered that day. They were about nineteen then and were in New York. Max couldn't remember why Fang got mad, but it had something to do with the fact that she told the interviewer something about him. "Stupid…idiot. God. Go fuck yourself. Bitch."

The then Max punched him and he grabbed her hand before the interview cut.

"That night," the narrator went on, "Ride spent the night in jail, though Fang didn't press charges and they were able to move passed the incident."

Fang turned off the television and Max didn't make him turn it back on. For a minute or two, all was quiet. Then Fang spoke.

"So."

"Yeah." Max sat up again, crossing her arms. The room suddenly went form hot to very cold.

Reaching over, Fang grabbed the back of her neck, squeezing. She thought he was trying to be loving, but failing.

"We've come a long way, Max." He squeezed tighter. "And I don't ever want to go back."

"You're hurting me, Fang."

"You're alright," he said, now pulling her to him, arm wrapping around her neck, putting her into some form of a headlock. "You're always alright."

"Fang, stop."

He squeezed tighter, holding her to him. Max finally elbowed him in the gut, though it did no good.

"Violent one, eh?" He laughed, kissing her head. "Chill out, Max."

"I don't like this."

"You did. At one time." He squeezed more. "Remember? I choked you, once, during sex."

"You made me pass out."

"From orgasm."

"You hurt me then, Fang."

"Not on purpose."

"Still. Now let me go."

He pulled his arm tighter, holding it there for a moment, before releasing the woman. She rubbed her neck while gasping for air.

"Quit playing."

"Fang…Damn, don't you ever yell at Bruce!"

"You're alright."

Standing up, Max stormed off to their bedroom. It's not like Fang shocked her when he hurt her, it was just…weird. They'd go fine for months, then they would be alone and he'd…pin her down. Or choke her.

He never abused her or anything. He honestly thought that's what people do. Play wrestle. He thought that she was still that girl that could take an Eraser attack and a Flyboy one the next minute, but that was about five Max's ago. She had had three children, a drunkard boyfriend, and been depressed for months upon months. She couldn't save the world now if she had to.

"Max! Are you seriously hurt?" Fang walked into the bedroom a few minutes later, a bottle of Jack in his hand. "Baby, are you sick?"

"Don't choke me, Fang."

He snorted. "If you had wanted to get away from me, you would have shoved me off."

"I'm not you, Fang. You work out. You're still you. I'm old now, okay? Don't choke me."

"Are we seriously even fighting about this?" He sat down on the bed. "It was a joke, Max. Foreplay."

"That's not…No. We're not kids anymore. No more. If you touch me, you're out."

"Out of what?" He asked after taking a chug.

"My house."

He shook his head. "Whatever. You know, I try to make a romantic time for us happen-"

"By attacking me?"

"I have never fucking hit you."

"I know."

"Then I didn't attack you. Besides, I've done way worse than what I did out there."

"That's the point!"

Fang sighed, moving to lay down next to her. "Well, Max, if we're not going to have sex, I'm taking a nap. Wake me up when you're going to be less bitchy."

"Out, Fang."

"What? I didn't call you a bitch. I just meant that you have bitch qualities."

"F-"

"Set this on the dresser," he said, handing her his bottle. Max made a face, though she did it regardless. "Now, there are three things we can do. Go back and watch the documentary, sleep, or, my favorite, have sex. I am really horny so-"

"Is that all you want me for?"

Fang shifted so that he was face to face with her. "I want what you want. You want sex. You know you do. Stop playing."

"Fang-"

Putting his hand on her shoulder, he pushed her down. "Now, we can do this the fun way, or…well."

"Fang."

"It's a joke. Kind of." He kissed her head. "Now, can we or not?"

Max let out a breath as she allowed Fang to undress her. Afterwards, he finished his drink before falling asleep. He liked sleeping after sex, so long as he was drunk. He said drinks keep his dreams straight.

"Fang. Fang," she whispered an hour later. "You're on my arm and it fell asleep. Fang."

He groaned. "Shuddup."

"Fang, move."

There was another groan, but he did roll over some more. Max cuddled against his back, burying her head in between his wings.

"You comfy, Max?"

"Yes," she mumbled against his back.

"Good. That's all I want is your comfort. Since, apparently, I abuse you."

"That's not what I said. You don't."

"Whatever."

Max closed her eyes. Why did she even say things when nothing changes? "Whatever, Fang."

* * *

"Hey, Bruce," Max said a few hours later as he came into the room. "What's going on?"

The teen grunted as he went to the fridge to get something to drink.

"Your brother went to David's house to play," Max absently told him as she made a cup of coffee. "Ryan took Lizzy too, so it's just you and me. And your dad, but he passed out."

Bruce almost grunted again, but stopped midway. "What's wrong with your neck?"

"What?" Max, having forgot the day's previous activities, frowned. "What are you…Oh. Nothing. Your dad…We were…"

"Ew."

"Not that, Bruce," Max said, not able to look at him without blushing. "We, uh, he…Just forget it."

"Whatever."

"Actually, I wanted to know if you wanted to watch something on TV with me. It's that movie that we used to watch when you were-"

"I'm busy."

"Oh, well…If you get unbusy, it's on again at-"

"I won't."

Max swallowed. "Well…I can record it with that DVD thingy."

"DVR?"

"Yeah, if you just show me how to work it-"

"Can't. Busy."

Leaving her coffee, Max fled back to her bedroom where Fang was still sleeping. She grabbed her pillow as she sat down and buried her face in it.

"What's wrong?"

Fang's voice startled her, as she had thought that he was sleeping.

In a choked up voice, she whimpered, "Bruce hates me and it's not even fair."

"Max-"

"No."

"You're just all emotional today because we watched the documentary. That's why you flipped about me messing with your neck too, I'd bet."

She sniffled. "You think so?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Everyone has a bad day." Fang rolled onto his side, closing his eyes. "And he does not hate you. You're his mother. He loves you very much. Promise."

"'kay," she agreed, if only to shut him up. What did Fang know? Bruce hated him too.

* * *

"Elizabeth. Hi. How have you been? Huh?"

Max rolled her eyes as Fang hugged the baby to his body. She giggled, cuddling against him.

"'ang!"

"I missed you," he said as she wiggled to get away. He dropped her on the bed, smiling. Then she got under the covers. Max had left to get the baby early this morning and then took her shopping with her. The horror.

"Miss'a 'ou."

"Aw. You're so good at talking." He patted her head before looking at Max. "You okay today?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He went back to the baby, who was rubbing against Max's pillow. Fang frowned. "What are you doing, Ellie?"

"Waw!"

Max sighed, watching the two of them for a moment before walking into the bathroom. She worked today.

It wasn't until around midnight that she got home. When she did, Fang was up, waiting for her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, noticing the baby was sleeping in his arms.

"She got sick. Throwing up. I think Ryan did it to her."

"Fang."

"Anyways, she sick." He looked down at the baby in his arms. "She won't let me put her down."

"She's scared, probably. Baby's don't like to throw up."

"Does anyone?" Fang answered his own question with, "Well, the bulimics."

Max ignored him as she picked up her daughter. For a second, all was silent. Then the baby woke up, saw Max was holding her, and began to scream.

"Told you," Fang said, holding out his arms. "Now hand her back. Now."

Max tried soothing the baby before just giving in and handing her over. "There."

Elizabeth took a second to calm down, but once she did, she just laid against her best friend, moaning.

"Does your tummy hurt?" Fang asked to which she nodded. "Go night-night. That'll help."

"Nigh-nigh."

"Yeah."

"You're really good with her," Max said a few minutes later when the baby was sleeping again.

"You think?"

"No, I just meant…with the boys…Bruce, at least…you didn't…"

"I messed up a lot, okay?" He didn't look up from the toddler in his arms. "We all do sometimes, I suppose."

"Yeah," Max mumbled before walking off, leaving Fang and Elizabeth alone. When she got to her bedroom, she immediately laid down, planning on sleeping. She had no luck in that when Fang came into the room.

"Max? Can babies take medicine?"

"Fang, just put her in bed. She's just got the stomach flu, probably."

"I dunno. Do babies get sick?"

"She's not a baby. She's a toddler. And yes, Fang. Duh. Are you seriously that stupid?"

He paused for a moment. "If you're going to be that way, fine. Me and Ellie will just-"

"Stay, Fang. Put her in bed with us. I didn't mean to act like that. I'm sorry."

"Well, that's a little better," he said, coming into the room like he always planned. "Here, Elizabeth, lay down."

Setting her on the bed, he then turned and walked out of the room. When he returned, he had some of her stuffed animals.

"Here you go, little one," Fang said as he laid them on the bed, making Max smile slightly. When he left again, he went into the bathroom.

"Mommy?"

"Shhh." Max ran a hand down her daughter's head. "You're okay. Shhh."

"'ang?"

"He went potty. Go to sleep, Lizzy. You're alright."

By the time that her mother's boyfriend got back, the baby was already sleeping. Which Max was happy about. Maybe then he wouldn't try and talk to her as not to wake the child.

"Hey," Fang whispered as he got into bed. "Hey, Max? Max? Oh. You're asleep? Faker. Whatever."

"What, Fang? What did you want?" She whispered, opening her eyes again to look at him.

"Nothing. Just that I think that we should discuss a name change."

"Name change."

"Yeah."

"Of what, Fang?"

"Our reality show."

"What reality show?"

He groaned. "Remember? We talked about it last week?"

"You mean joked? Fang, I don't care anymore about that joke, okay?" She shut her eyes again, not wanting to see him. "You were drunk and I was horny. A lot of things were said. It doesn't-"

"Max, you can't say that word in front of her."

"What word?"

Fang looked down at the sleeping child before mouthing the word horny.

"She's sleeping."

"And?"

"Fang, grow up."

"You grow up."

Max took a deep breath. "You're sober."

"Uh, yeah. I was home with a sick baby. When would I have time to drink?"

Max shook her head. "I just figured…I mean…"

"You always tell me not to drink around the kids."

"That doesn't mean I think that you listen."

"Whatever."

"Fang, don't be like that."

"Be like what? Huh?" He yawned a little. "Just go to bed, Max. The baby is sleeping. I don't want to wake her up."

Rolling her eyes, Max went ahead and went to bed. It was about two hours later that she was woken up by the sound of Fang stumbling around the bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhh!" He slowly made his way to the bed. "I went to get somethin' to drink."

"I knew you couldn't last all night."

"Shuddup, Max."

* * *

"What the fuck did you do?"

Max frowned as Lizzy started crying. Fang kept yelling though.

"Those are my fucking headphones, Elizabeth! You-"

Jumping up from the couch, Max ran into her bedroom to see Fang holding his beloved headphones in his hand, the wire chewed though. On the bed, Elizabeth sat there crying while staring at Fang.

"What's going on in here?" Max frowned at her boyfriend. "I know that you're not yelling at her."

"Yes! The little…girl ruined my headphones!"

"You shouldn't have given them to her."

"I didn't! She was sleeping and I went to shower. When I came back out, she was just…eating them!"

"Well, that's your fault, Fang."

"My fault?"

"Yes! You just don't leave shit around."

"Don't you curse at me."

"Then don't curse at my daughter."

Elizabeth stopped crying, now just watching as her mother and her boyfriend went back and forth.

"I get angry sometimes, alright, Max? I can't help it. She's always ruining shit for me."

"No one makes you spend every second with Elizabeth, Fang. You choose that. I would gladly put her in daycare."

He groaned. "I don't want that."

"Then don't yell at her."

"I can't help it when she does something stupid!"

After about two minutes, their fight was broken up by Ethan.

"Mom?"

"What?" She turned her glare on him.

"Your phone went off. It's Bruce. He's in trouble."

"What?"

Ethan nodded. "He's at Sabrina's. Somethin' happened. He said that you need to get down there."

"Is he hurt, Ethan?"

"No. I think she is. He was real angry and upset. He said something 'bout getting another ticket. You better go."

Max took off, leaving Fang with her other two kids as she rushed to rescue her other baby. She went to reach for her phone when she got to a red light, but then remembered she didn't have it on her. Ethan must have gotten it out of the living room. Looks like she'd have to get to Sabrina's before she found out what went wrong…


	7. Chapter 7

Rebuild

Chapter 7

Bruce was in a detention center now. He would be until his birthday a few months away. Fang didn't go see him. Bruce said that he didn't want him too. Fang was fine with that. Perfectly fine.

"Are you tired?"

Fang glanced at Ethan. "Thought you went to bed?"

He got onto the couch next to Fang. "Aren't you tired yet?"

"Why do you care, Ethan?"

"I just…shouldn't you go get in bed? Like with Mom?"

So that's what this was about. Fang sighed a little. "No."

"But…Dad, you can't keep sleeping out here! How am I supposed to sneak into the kitchen for snacks if you are in here and can hear me?"

"Ethan, why does it matter? Your mom just…doesn't want me in there right now. It's no biggie. Promise."

Ethan frowned a little, staring at the television, even though it wasn't turned on. "But...Aren't you guys happy?"

No. "Sure we are, buddy."

"I don't think so. Mom sure does cry a lot now."

"Only a little. And that's just about Bruce."

"Still."

"Ethan, don't worry about stuff, okay, buddy? You're still just a boy. Stay a boy."

"Not for very long. After this summer, Dad, there's going to be a lot of changes."

"Well, you still have a week or two, so you enjoy it, okay?" Fang pushed his son's head a little. "Go to bed now."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no? Ethan, I'm your father. You're not allowed to tell me no. Ever."

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

Ethan was lucky that Fang hadn't started drinking yet. "Now, Ethan."

"No. Not until you go get in bed."

"I-"

"Now, Dad."

Fang was so close to having a meltdown it wasn't even funny. "Ethan-"

"I'm not trying to get in trouble. I just want you and Mom to be okay. I don't want you to leave again."

Looking over Ethan's head, Fang took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking again. "I'm going to go get in bed with Mom. Then you're going to go to bed

"No. You're going to wait for me to leave and then come back out of here to sleep."

After taking a deep breath, Fang offered, "Tell you what, Ethan, I'm going to go get in bed now. You stay out here for as long as you need before you realize that I'm not coming back out. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good." Fang patted his head. "Goodnight, buddy."

"Goodnight, Dad."

When Fang got to the master bedroom, Max was already sleeping. She was laying on the bed, facing his side of it. Fang cleared his throat, but she didn't move.

"What?" Max asked, still not opening her eyes. Fang hung back, knowing that the last time they had spoken it had been harsh words.

"Ethan was bothering me out there. He thinks that we're…having problems. I need him to think that I'm sleeping in the bedroom tonight." Slowly, he walked towards the bed. "I mean, I could just go hang out in the bathroom, but I figured we could both be adult about this and I could just wait him out in the bedroom."

When Max didn't respond, Fang feared that she would kick him out of the room, but then she mumbled what sounded like okay, but Fang wasn't sure. Deciding to be a risk taker, he sat down on the bed, his back to her.

"I think it's not good for the boy, you know? Seeing us fight so much. The little one either. Maybe that's where we messed up with Bruce." Fang knew that Max had gone back to sleep, but he couldn't stop talking. "I mean, Max, he beat the shit out of the girl. And now he's not here. I don't want to fuck the other two up. They're both still such good kids. I hope that they stay that way forever."

Max didn't say anything and Fang let the room fall into an uneasy silence. It was about thirty minutes later that his back started to get tight and he moved to lay down, facing Max.

"I thought that you were leaving after awhile?"

Fang frowned, having thought that she was sleeping. "How do you know that I'm still here?"

"I can smell you."

"Oh."

"You always smell like whiskey."

"I only drank a little tonight. I'm sober."

"I know."

"Oh? How do you know that?"

She moved over some, snuggling into his pillow. "Your words. They aren't slurred. Not even a little."

Fang watched her face, noticing how time ages you. Sure, they had aged gracefully, but they still did look older. Old. That's what they were now. That's what Max looked. She actually looked like someone's mother. And did he look like someone's father? When did this happen? He would have liked someone to send him a memo and inform him that he was getting older.

"You know me well, Max."

"Do you me?"

Kissing her shut eyelids, he said, "I know that you've been thinking about it again."

"It? What it?"

"You know what."

Max groaned a little. "I never was thinking about that, Fang. You took a conversation wrong."

"Wrong? Max…Nudge is the one the one that called me and said that I needed to talk to you about it."

"I wasn't trying to kill myself, Fang! God. I have my kids, okay?"

"Don't get all mad at me, Max."

"Then stop bring old shit up."

"Max, it was a week ago!"

Finally opening her eyes, she stared at him. "Nudge didn't get what I meant. What I said was that I didn't like the way things were going. That I didn't want to be here anymore."

"That's not what you wrote."

"So much gets mistranslated in text messages."

"So much," Fang said dryly. "Max, I just need you to know that you're not leaving me. Or the kids. Ever. And if you ever try to…Damn, Max, just don't."

"Why do you repeat yourself?" She closed her brown eyes again. "You've said all of this before."

"I know."

"Then stop."

"I can't. I need to protect you."

"From myself?" Max snorted, angering Fang slightly. "Fang, if I was going to commit suicide, why would I have told you about it?"

Fang had looked this shit up. He knew all about it. People who attempt suicide typically leave tips about their plans before hand, but then they say the right things to make you think that they're okay, but they're really just testing you. They want to know if you're really concerned. And he is. Shit, he is. He just had to make her realize that. Now, all he had to do was keep all eyes on her at all times, keep her away from his liquor, and just make sure she got through all this alright.

"Let's just…stop, Max."

He reached out and ran a hand down her face, smiling a little. She was so pretty. He loved her. So much.

"Max, I just want you to know-"

"I thought that we were stopping?"

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "The point is, I care about you. More than I care about myself. I just want you to know that whatever's going on, I'm there for you. You can tell me anything, Max. I know that we fight a lot, but honestly, if you ever need me, I'm there. Right there. Tell me anything that's going through your head, alright? I won't tell a soul. Not unless you want me to. I won't make you go to therapy or get on medication. None of that. What you want, I want. Unless you want to die because then I am so against it. Alright?"

Max didn't respond. Sighing a little, Fang gave her head one more kiss before moving back a little. Max was on his side of the bed, so he didn't have far to move. They were both curled towards the other, but not touching otherwise. This was the first time Fang had slept in bed with Max since Bruce got sent away for beating on Sabrina. It was…nice.

Max slowly fell asleep, her breath tickling his face. Fang couldn't sleep though. He knew that he was supposed to get up and leave the room, but part of him refused to. This was just as much his bedroom as it was his girlfriend's. Plus…he was starting to realize by not being with her all night, he was giving her the opportunity to harm herself.

By the time it was three in the morning, Max had rolled over and was cuddled against Fang's chest. It made him smile as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a kiss on the head.

"Fang?" Max asked, halfway still asleep.

"I'm here."

She said something unintelligible, but Fang just smiled.

"I love you, Max. I don't say it enough, but I do." Kissing her one more time, he too closed his eyes, now content that she couldn't go anywhere without first disturbing him by moving.

* * *

"'ang?"

Opening his eyes slowly, he saw Elizabeth in Max's spot on the bed. Her mother was still on his spot, cuddled against his chest.

"What?"

"Up?"

He nuzzled Max's neck to wake her up. "Your daughter wants you."

Max didn't open her eyes. "What, Lizzy?"

"Hung'y."

"Get Fang to make you something."

"'ang?"

He kissed Max's head just to make her sigh. "What are you hungry for, Ellie?"

"I'c'eam."

"Ice cream? Silly. You can't eat ice cream."

She stared at her mother, now angry with Fang for denying her what she wanted. "Mommy?"

"What?"

"I'c'eam?"

"No."

"Yes."

"I said no."

The toddler started whining, which made Fang sad. "Well, maybe just a little-"

"No, Fang."

Huffing, the little girl stopped her cries to climb off the bed. As she walked out the door, she called out for Fang to come follow her. He gave Max another kiss before getting up to do so.

"'ang?"

He lifted Elizabeth up onto his shoulders as they came to the kitchen. "What?"

"Hung'y."

"Pancakes good?" He sat her down on the counter. "Huh?"

While Fang went to work on his pancakes with chocolate sauce, Elizabeth busied herself with a packet of ketchup sitting next to her. She kept pushing on it until it exploded all over the counter.

"What the fuck, Elizabeth?" Fang frowned at her, making the baby upset. He took a deep breath before picking her up and setting her on the ground. "Don't play with shit, okay? God."

She hadn't gotten any on herself, so all Fang had to do was wipe down the counter before going back to breakfast.

'Hate 'ang!" Elizabeth cried, making Fang stop. Turning, he looked down at her.

"What?"

"Hate 'ang! "ang mean!"

Fang got down on his knees next to her. "I am not! You're the one who…Come here."

Pulled her into his arms, Fang held the little girl to him before standing, her still in his arms.

"No!"

"I'm sorry I yelled, Ellie. I'm sorry I cursed. I get mad sometimes." He smiled at her. "But, uh, you don't really hate me, do you?"

"Yes!"

Groaning, he went over to the freezer and pulled out the chocolate ice cream. Who ever said that you can't fix all your problems with ice cream?

* * *

"What are you doing, Ethan?"

He sighed, not looking at his father. "It's over, Dad."

"What is?"

"My childhood, Dad."

"What does that have to do with boxing up all your toys?" Fang had come into Ethan's room to tell him his mother was leaving to see Bruce and find out if he wanted to go. Then he came across this. "And why are you putting Buzz and Woody in there?"

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad. I can't have such childish things. Now that Bruce is gone and you're a drunk, I'm the man of the house."

"…Wait a minute. I am not a drunk."

"Keep lying to yourself, pop." Ethan sighed as he laid Woody's hat in the box with the toy. "I know a lot more than you think. Plus, I think we would all agree that I'm way more important to this house than you are."

"How do you figure?"

"I've never left this house. You did. We survived without you."

"We had this house before you were born. We survived without you too."

"Eh, that's debatable."

Fang was not enjoying himself. "Look, Ethan, I don't care if you throw away all your shit, but-"

He gasped. "Dad, you cursed!"

"I'm aware. Now you want to go with your mom or not?"

"Go where?"

"To see Bruce."

"Ah, another chore that is now my responsibility that should be yours."

"One more word out of your mouth and you won't get a chance to throw your stuff away. I'll burn it."

With that, Fang walked out of the room and back to Elizabeth's. Her nap was about over and he wanted to play with her. Ethan was being a brat.

"Ellie? You up?"

"'ang!" She was jumping on her bed, something that Max never let her do. Fang didn't care any. He went over to her and picked her up.

"What do you think of me, Ellie? Other than mean? Huh? What do you think? A drunk?"

She didn't know what a drunk was. She did know what Fang was though.

"F'iend."

"You think I'm your friend? 'cause I am. You're my friend too." He started out of the room. "You're my best friend. You're the only one that gets me."

She wrapped an arm around his neck making him smile. "P'ay?"

"Yeah, we can play." He carried her to the living room, where Max was waiting for Ethan.

"Is he coming or not?" Fang's girlfriend asked.

"I don't know. Ethan! Get your a…butt out here!" He then went and sat Elizabeth down on the floor next to her toys. "Have fun, Max. Pick up something for dinner, would you?"

"You know, you could come, Fang."

"He said that he doesn't want me to. Don't want to go against his wishes, you know."

"Yeah, sure."

After the two of them were gone, Fang flaked out on the floor, watching as Elizabeth made a mess of the living room. Max would clean it up though, so it was okay.

When Max and Ethan got back, he immediately ran off, but Fang didn't care that much do to what Ethan had said to him before. Max sat a bag of fast food down on the coffee table.

"Whatever you did to Ethan, you need to fix it," Max said before looking around. "And what did you let her do in here? It's a mess!"

"Calm down," Fang yawned, sitting up. "And bring me my bottle of Jameson."

"You really have gotten too comfortable here."

"It is my house."

"Yeah, well, learn to respect it before you lose it. And don't curse at my son. Either of them. Or Lizzy for that matter."

"Oh. You know about the ice cream?"

"What? No."

"…Never mind."

Taking a deep breath, Max said, "The point is that you need to shape up."

As he was still sober, he was able to flex without a problem. "Well, got that part down, babe."

"Don't call me babe."

"And don't tell me how to act. I'm a man, Max. Now run along and get my drink."

She looked like she was going to hit him and Fang, who had thought that they were playing the whole time, frowned a little.

"Go screw yourself, Fang."

"Max, it was a joke." He stood up. "Besides, I didn't do anything to Ethan. He was mean to me first. As punishment, he can clean up the mess. All better."

"No, Fang. It's not. You don't curse."

"Everyone curses, M-"

"No. I mean it."

Taking a deep breath saved Fang from mention all the times that she dropped the f-bomb in the past year. Instead he just said, "Alright."

Elizabeth, who had been rolling around on the ground, sat up when the smell of the food from the fast food bag hit her. "Ninner?"

"Dinner, you mean?" Max opened the bag and handed her a burger. "There."

"Max, you'll make her fat, feeding her like that," he complained as he went and picked up the rest of the bag, which held twenty more burgers and two large fries. Then he frowned. "Max! Where's my milkshake?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fang."

Elizabeth needed help with getting her hamburger out of the wrapper, so Fang momentarily forgot his lack of milky goodness as he went to assist her.

"Don't drop this one on me," Fang warned as they both went to sit down on the couch. "Alright?"

"Maybe you should rip it in half," Max suggested as she started to clean the living room up, even though she had complained when Fang told her too.

"What did you and Ethan eat?" Fang asked, following her suggestion.

"I took him to a Chinese place. I hope you don't mind. I figured we have the money."

Fang hated the way that she was asking him if it was okay, basically. Before, she wouldn't have cared if he thought something was okay or not. Things were changing.

"It's your money too, Max."

"I know," she sighed. "We just might need it in the future. You know."

Fang swallowed hard which made Elizabeth laugh.

"What were you thinking we'd need it for, Max?"

"I don't know. If I knew, then I wouldn't have said might. It's just a precaution." She kept picking up, not even stopping to look at him. "Don't make a mess, Lizzy."

She made a growling sound, not stopping playing with her food to truly answer her mother. Fang patted the little girl on the head before giving her one of his fries.

"You know, I don't think she likes being called that."

"Called what?" Max asked, putting the toys back in the toy box.

"Lizzy. She prefers Ellie."

"Oh? And how you would you know this?"

"I just do, okay? We…get each other."

"Fang, she's a toddler. All she gets is the Tinky Winky is the same color as Barney."

"Actually, Barney is lighter than…Never mind."

Max glanced at him. "The point is, you don't get each other. She's just not old enough to know that you're a drunk or to care."

"So Ethan did tell you what he said."

"Yeah. So?"

"Then you knew that what he said was uncalled for."

"How is the truth uncalled for?"

Frowning, he looked down at Ellie. "Anyways, she likes it better when I call her Ellie than when you call her Lizzy, so-"

"I still haven't heard a valid reason for you coming to this conclusion."

"Is the amount of time I spend with her not enough evidence?"

"Gee, let me think. Uh, no."

"Well then."

All was silent for a few minutes, save Elizabeth's random noises as she ate. She liked that, making noises. She did it all the time. At first, it annoyed Fang, but now it soothed him. Like she enjoyed his complaints, he enjoyed her noises, if only because it reminded each of them the other was there.

* * *

"So are you really getting rid of all that stuff?"

Ethan rolled over in his bed, not speaking to his father. Fang sighed.

"I mean, it seems kind of wasteful, don't you think? And without Bruce here, who would tease you about it?"

"It's not about teasing! It's because I have to be a man and-"

"Am I not a man, Ethan?"

The boy paused. His dad was the best man he knew! "Yes."

"Well…" Fang took a deep breath as he walked into the room. After putting Ellie to bed, he had started to feel bad about yelling at his son and came to fix it. Was he really going to risk this though? They are so close to being Toy Story free, but… "I like…Toy Story."

"You do?"

"Sure," he said as his son sat up and faced him. "Not on a daily basis though."

"Then what kind of basis would you put it on?" Ethan asked, now interested.

"A…Monthly one, maybe. Yearly."

"Hmmm. I like the monthly idea."

Having to force the words out, Fang agreed.

"So I don't have to throw away all my kid stuff?"

"Not if you don't want to. But you know what?"

"What?"

"If you do get tired of some of it, you don't have to throw it away. You can just give it away."

"To who?"

"Elizabeth."

"But Dad…She's kind of a girl."

Fang rolled his eyes. "And? Girls can play with boys toys."

"Then why can't I play with Barbies?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"It's, uh, in the man handbook," Fang said quickly, not even wanting to broach that subject. Ethan sat there for a minute before laying back down.

"I'll look back through my stuff, I guess, and give some of it to Elizabeth," Ethan said, closing his eyes.

"Good," Fang said, staring to close the door.

"But Dad?"

Pausing, he said, "Yeah, E.T.?"

"…Does that mean that I can have Bruce's lava lamps?" He whispered, as if saying it aloud would ruin it.

Fang thought for a second before nodding. His oldest wouldn't be out until he was eighteen at least. "Yeah, buddy."

Once he finished that, Fang went and got his Jameson before getting into bed with Max.

"What are you doing? You're drinking too fast. You'll make yourself sick," Max said, frowning at him. "What's wrong?"

Stopping his drinking momentarily, Fang asked, "You know how Ethan was going to get rid of all his Toy Story stuff?"

"Yes."

"I might have ruined that."

"Damn you."


	8. Chapter 8

Rebuild

Chapter 8

"What do you wanna be? Huh? A witch? A cat? Huh? You wanna be a little kitty cat?"

Fang made a face. "Max, she does not want to be those stupid things. She's going as something cool."

Max groaned. "Fang-"

"In fact," he said, closing the front door behind him. "I already have her costume picked out!"

"Oh yeah?" Max turned down the TV a little. "And what is that?"

"Iron Man."

"Right. My only daughter that I will ever get to have is going to be something that I could just as easily dress one of my sons up as. As if."

"Max, she doesn't want to be something girly and stereotypical."

"How is Iron Man not stereotypical?" Something told Max that Fang really didn't know what the word meant either way.

Fang frowned a little. "Fine. Let her choose. Ellie, do you want to be a cat like Mommy wants? Or do you want to be Iron Man, like I want?"

"'ang!"

"See?"

"Fang, she always chooses you."

"That should tell you enough. We share the same tastes, Max. I know what she wants. She wants to be Iron Man." He walked over to the little girl. "I missed you while I was at work, Elizabeth. Did you miss me?"

"Yes!" She held up her hands to be picked up, which Fang immediately did. Max groaned, closing her eyes.

"Could you guys take that somewhere else? I'd like to keep my lunch down, thanks."

"Lunch? What'd you eat?"

"Why? Have you not eaten yet?"

"Only three times."

Max rolled her eyes. "So, anyways-"

"What did you eat, Max?"

"I just made fish sticks, that's all."

"Ew. You need to broaden your horizons. As far as food goes, that is. And a few other things…"

"Fang."

"What?"

"No."

"What? How do you even know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean."

"Hear that, Ellie? She thinks she can read minds. She can't. I, on the other hand, know everything without reading mines. You know why? Huh? Because I'm the smartest person to ever to walk the face of the earth."

Max blinked. "I was serious. Can you guys go take that elsewhere?"

Elizabeth patted Fang's head. "P'ay?"

"Yeah, let's go play." He took her out of the room, making Max happy. Fang and Elizabeth had begun to annoy her around the time that Bruce got detained. All they ever did was put on this fake happiness bullshit and it was all she could do to not puke.

Around three, Max left to go pick up Ethan from school. He also had started to irritate her. Not started, really, as he always had since he was able to talk, but now it was more than usual. He always had to be so freaking perky. What did he have in life to be thankful for? Too much. He had too much to be thankful for. Yeah.

"Hi, Mom."

"Be quiet, Ethan."

Frowning, he buckled his seatbelt. "I didn't yell or nothing."

"I said to be quiet."

Ethan sat there for a minute before reaching over to turn on the stereo. Max immediately turned it back down, making the car as silent as she wanted him to be. Ethan wasn't one for silence. He hated it.

"Mom-"

"No talking, Ethan. Just sit there and shut up, okay?"

"Why are you in such a bad mood?"

"I'm not. I'm just tired of listening to you talk about nothing all day."

Ethan frowned. 'You're mean today."

"I am not."

"Whatever."

"Don't whatever me, Ethan."

He just crossed his arms, frowning. When they got home, Max went to her bedroom to nap. She was only in there for a few minutes when Fang came in.

"What did you do to Ethan?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

"Fang-"

"Don't be mean to him, Max. He hasn't done anything to you."

"I wasn't mean to him. He annoys me sometimes and I said something about it. Sue me."

"You've been really mean to him recently."

"I have not."

"Yes, you have. I know that Bruce being gone has been hard on you, but you can't just take it out on Ethan. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"What are you talking about, Fang? I haven't done anything." Max sat up and looked at him. "If either of us has done something wrong, it's you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"What have I done?"

"Nothing, that's the point," she said. "You're still exactly the same. Like Bruce getting sent away hasn't affected you at all."

"And it hasn't! Why would it?"

"I don't know, Fang, maybe because he's your son."

He snorted. "So what?"

"Oh, right, I forgot. You only care about Ethan."

"Right, okay, sure. You're the one that never even spends time with him. All you care about is Bruce. That's all you've ever cared about is Bruce. Since Ethan was a baby and you-"

"I was going through a lot, Fang."

"And I wasn't?"

"If you were, you'd have no idea. I mean, you were so drunk back then-"

"Ever think that there was a reason behind that?"

"Yeah, because you're a shitty parent."

"Right, okay, I'm the horrible parent. Okay."

"Fang, how could you not be the horrible one out of the two of us? You're never there for any of our kids. The only thing you ever do is drink. And play with Elizabeth now, but not much else."

"I work."

"Yeah, whatever."

"I do! I work hard. So what if I come home and drink a little?"

"A little? Are you drunk right now?"

"…I don't enjoy your line of questioning!"

"And I don't enjoy being your girlfriend. Doesn't stop me from living life."

Fang breathed out heavily through his nose. "Shut the fuck up. Like anything's wrong with you these days. Whining and crying over Bruce. He doesn't even like you! He fucking hates you. He's always hated you. He's probably glad that he's locked up because now he doesn't have to be with you."

Max turned and hid her head in her pillow while Fang walked out of the room.

* * *

Ryan calling woke Max up. She just stared at the phone for a moment, debating on whether or not she should answer. So she didn't.

Getting out of bed, Max walked through the dark house until she got to the kitchen. As usual, Fang was drinking in the dark. He mumbled something, but Max didn't understand him.

"What?"

"I said…there you are."

"Is that what you said?" She rolled her eyes, going over to the fridge to find something to eat. "What was for dinner?"

Fang slurred something that sounded like pizza, but Max found no evidence of pizza boxes. She made a sandwich instead, also including a few for Fang.

"Here," she said, handing him his plate.

"Wha'?"

"Ham."

"Tu'ge?"

"You mean turkey? No. Ham and cheese." Max sat down next to him. "Just eat it. "You know that you will."

She looked away as he ate his fifth dinner of the night, not wanting to see the drunkard attempt to eat.

"Swordy."

"You mean sorry?"

Fang nodded his head.

"About what?"

"Buford."

"You mean before?"

Again, he nodded.

"It's okay, Fang," she told him even though it wasn't. "Really."

He mumbled something else before going back to eating. Max finished her sandwich before just sitting there next to him, listening to his noises. Around one in the morning, he made a loud noise before taking the venture of getting up from the table. Needless to say that was a failed adventure.

"Fang!" Max jumped up to help him off the floor. "Are you okay?"

"I'mma fine." He pushed her away as she tried to help him stand. "Letta me go!"

"Fine, jerk."

He stumbled around some more before letting Max lead him to the bedroom, where he promptly collapsed again.

"Let me stay," he whispered as Max continued to try pulling him up. "Stop."

Sighing, Max went over to the bed and grabbed a pillow and pulled the top blanket off.

"Here," she mumbled, lifting up his head and laying it on half the pillow. She then laid down next to him, throwing the blanket across both of them. "There."

Fang reached out and wrapped an arm around her lazily, sighing a little more. "Die loaf ya."

"I love you too," Max whispered closing her eyes. "So much."

* * *

"Mom?"

She frowned when she opened her eyes and only saw darkness. Then she realized that Fang had his arm over her eyes. Pushing it off, she sat up to find that they were still on the floor, but now Elizabeth joined them. She had probably had a nightmare the night before and just got under the blankets with them, cuddled against Fang's side, a couple of her stuffed animals with her.

"Mom?" Ethan, who was in the doorway, repeated. "Someone needs to take me to school."

"What time is it?" Max asked. She had a killer headache, as if she were the one that got drunk the night before. Though, by now, Fang probably didn't get hangovers.

"Late. Come on. We have to go. Please?"

"I'm coming." She had fallen asleep with the previous day's clothes on and just had to get her shoes.

"What were you all doing on the floor?" Ethan asked as they walked out the front door. "Huh?"

"Nothing. Your dad just…nothing, Ethan."

"You never tell me anything."

Max sighed when she realized Fang had gone somewhere after their fight the previous day and, instead of parking in the street like usual, had parked in the driveway, just to block her in. Jackass…

"Go get your father's keys."

"But he says that he doesn't like for you to drive his car."

"You want to walk to school? Go."

Once they were in Fang's truck, Max started to feel slightly bad for Ethan, so she stopped and bought him a donut before dropping him off. When she got back to her home, she stopped off in the kitchen to get a drink before returning to her bedroom. Fang was still sprawled out on the floor, but Elizabeth was now very much awake.

"Hi," she said, giggling as Max came to stand over them. At the moment, the little girl was rubbing different markers on Fang's face.

"What are you doing, Lizzy?"

"Make 'ang p'etty."

Max just stared for a second before laying back down next to them. "Isn't that nice of you?"

Elizabeth giggled. "Love 'ang."

"I'm sure."

Fang made a choking noise in his sleep, taking a moment to settle out. Elizabeth just kissed his nose and went back to work on drawing on his face. Max put her back to them before closing her eyes to take a long nap.

When she woke up again, Fang and Elizabeth were gone, which Max was fine with. She laid there for a few minutes, breathing softly. Slowly, she got out of the pallet they had made on the floor and searched the house for Fang. He and Ellie were gone. Groaning, Max went to take a shower before doing a load of clothes.

"Ma-ax! We have lunch."

She met Fang in the kitchen. "Tacos?"

"Of course. Ellie loves tacos."

"Tacos," the toddler agreed, shaking her head yes.

"You wanna eat in here?" Max asked, sitting down at the table. "Or-"

"Game's on."

"Name smon," Elizabeth mimicked as Fang pulled her and his food from the bag.

"Come on, Ellie."

"Bye-bye," she called to her mother as she followed her friend out of the kitchen. Max sighed, looking through the bag. She ate most of her food before going into the living room to give the leftovers to her boyfriend.

"I'm going to see Bruce tomorrow," she mentioned to him as she began to pick up the living room. When she was younger, she swore never to fall into such a stereotypical role as the homemaker. Now, it didn't matter much to her if she was stereotypical or not. She had made her bed and she had to lie in it, whether it be with a man who would rather drink than be with her or a man who would rather watch strippers. Sorry, _exotic dancers_. Isn't that what the hoes liked to be called these days?

Fang just grunted. "Bring me a bottle of whiskey?"

It came out a question, but he meant it to be a command. Fang had no problem being depicted as the stereotypical man, which should have bothered her from the start, but she chose to ignore it then. Now she was paying for it. The punishment always fits the crime.

"No."

Fang frowned. "Fine. I'll get it myself, I guess."

When he came back into the room, he went over to Max and touched her shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

Before kissing her head, he took a chug of Jameson. The Irish whiskey. He was so fond of it that it made her sick.

"I work tomorrow."

He nodded, sitting back down next to her daughter. "Cool- Ellie! That was my food. You ate all of yours already."

She just patted her belly making Fang laugh. Max finished picking up and went out of the room, leaving Elizabeth with her drunk boyfriend. That's what she wanted anyways. And so did he. He cared more about her daughter than he did her. Max should have figured as much. Had she not know Fang her whole life, it would have come off as weird and perverted, the way that he chose to spend his days with the girl. She did know him her whole life though and didn't see it that way.

It probably had something to do with growing up in a cage, she had decided a long time ago. That's what everything went back to, anyways. Fang drank. Cage. He hated Bruce. Cage. He feared commitment. Cage. Cage. Cage. Where was Max's excuses? Huh? What did she get? Nothing. Where was her cage? She was there too! They locked her in too!

Angel was a slut. Cage. Iggy had a gambling problem and couldn't keep a job. Cage. Gasman hated her and Fang for a fight years ago. Cage. Nudge cried every night. Cage. Max left Fang a few years ago. What a bitch. Max's oldest son was locked up. What a horrible parent. Max lets her boyfriend run over her every chance she gets. What low self respect.

Putting her hands together in the typical prayer manner, Max bowed her head as she sat down on the bed. She wasn't praying, oh no. Fang didn't like that. He wouldn't let her go to church, not after Bruce was born anyways. The preacher, he looked down on Fang. Her boyfriend swore it. All church was bad. Bring me another drink, Max. No, you can't go, Max. Because I'm fucking telling you, that's why! Another drink. And another. Bring me more! I need more! The baby's crying, Max. Where's my fucking work shirt, Max? Did you wash it, Max? You were supposed to. The baby, Max, the baby. You're pregnant again? Great. That's all I need, Max. It's all your fault, Max. Shut the fuck up, Max. Why can't you ever just get off my case, Max? Huh? Huh? Max? Max? Max! I'm talking to you, Max. Listen to me, Max. Max. Max. Max. Max.

"Shut up! Just shut up! I can fucking hear you! You don't have to yell!" She threw her pillow at the closed bedroom door before picking his up and throwing it at the dresser. "Just shut up!"

It was quiet. Silent. She stared hard at the wall, but got nothing from it. Then, suddenly, there was a rasping on the door.

"Max? Are you okay? What happened?"

Springing up, she locked the door. "Go away, Fang."

"Max-"

"Just go away! I listen to you when you tell me to do something, so you just listen to me. Okay? Okay? Huh?"

It was silent again. Max stood at the door for a minute before going over to the dresser. Getting down on her knees, she pulled open the bottom drawer.

"All these stupid pictures. Why? Why do you need these? Huh? Huh?" She started to pull them out, throwing them to the ground. "What's wrong with you? Do these get you off? Huh? You need to know what we all went through? Huh? Huh? You can't remember on your own? Damn right you can't. Stupid drunk. Stupid, stupid drunk."

Out of nowhere, the handle to the door began to rattle. Max looked up as Fang finally made it into the room, a screw driver in his hand.

"What did you do? Did you hurt yourself?"

She just stared at him. "I said to stay out."

He ignored her as he went to go get on his knees with her. "Did you cut yourself? Let me see."

"I didn't do anything." Did she? She looked down at her arms. No.

Fang forced her onto the ground and lifted up her shirt. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"Show me what you did that you had to keep me out of here."

"There's nothing, Fang!"

He checked her whole upper half before looking at her legs. "Take off your-"

"No! Leave me alone."

"Max-"

"I didn't cut myself, jackass. How stupid would that be? What would that prove?"

"I don't know! They say that women cut themselves and shit. I had to check."

"Stupid teenage girls that want attention do that."

"I think that someone yelling and locking the door wants attention, Max."

"Coming from someone that drinks so that people pity him?"

He shoved her back to the ground when she tried to sit up. "Lay there, Max. Look at the mess you made! What were you doing?"

"I don't have to answer to you, Fang. You're my fucking boyfriend, not my master." She tried one more time to sit up, but when he pushed her back down, she gave up.

"'ang?"

He didn't turn around. "I told you to stay in your damn room, Elizabeth. Don't you fucking listen?"

No one in the house did. Max reached up and slapped him. More stereotyping.

"Don't curse at my daughter."

He touched his cheek. "You stupid cunt."

He had called her a lot of things, but he had never called her that. Max sat up and this time he didn't stop her.

"What happened, Max? Why did you just flip out like this?"

"Because, Fang, I'm tired of just pretending like our fights don't happen."

"When?"

"Today. Yesterday. Last week. Last month. The night they took Bruce. You always just walk away or I walk away and then we act like nothing happened."

"That's what people do, Max."

"No. They solved the problem."

"What's the problem? Bruce is gone. He's not coming back, ever. Even when he gets out, he'll be eighteen. He's not coming back here. He hates us. He hates you. He hates me. He hates Ethan. He hates Elizabeth. He's angry. At me. And you're all going to suffer for it. There's nothing I can do now, alright? It's over. It's all finally over."

"That's our son, Fang."

"I know. And if I could change it, I would. But I can't. He's not coming back."

"So that's what you're going to do? You're going to just give up?"

"Yeah, Max, I am. When something's over, you have to just admit it. It's over. It's done. He's gone. Move on. I'm still here. Ethan's still here. Elizabeth is still here."

"That's why no one ever talks to us, Fang. You're the reason that Gasman hates me. You're the reason that Ella isn't talking to me anymore. Remember that? You yelled at her. Remember?"

"She made a pass at me."

"Oh fucking please! No one would sleep with you but me and sluts."

"Gee, finally get that? Your sister got knocked up by some random. If that doesn't spell fucking slut for you, I don't know what does!"

This time when she raised her hand, Fang caught it. He stared hard into her eyes.

"_She_ came onto _me_. And when I told you, you called me a drunk. _You_ believed _her_. You said that I didn't understand what she meant. You think that I'm stupid. Don't you? Don't you?"

"Yeah, Fang, I do. And you are."

"Then why are you with me?"

"Because I am too."

He let go of her arm and she looked at it. Fang had left imprints from his fingers. For a moment, she stared at them before she turned her vision to the doorway. Elizabeth was gone.

Standing, she wiped her eyes that she hadn't even realized were watering until that moment. "I, uh, have to go check on the baby."

"Now who's leaving, Max?"

Ignoring him, she left the room. She found her only daughter in her bedroom, laying in her bed.

"Mommy?"

Max put her finger to her lips, waiting for the toddler to mimic before getting into bed with her. Elizabeth cuddled against her mother, not understanding why her and Fang were so sad.

After about ten minutes, Fang came into the room. He opened his mouth, but Max put her finger to her lips. His eyes found the marks he left on her wrist, making him frown. Pushing his finger against his lips, he too got into the toddler's bed, crawling over both of them so that he could be squashed against the wall.

And all was silent.

* * *

Bruce had worked his way up to being able to have private visits. The first level was no visits, the second was phone calls, the third was parent counselor visits. Finally, he was on level eight. His mother could go to his room.

"It's very…Dark."

"I don't have anything to put on the walls."

Max sat down on the edge of his bed. "You don't have a roommate?"

"I got my own room at level seven."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"You'll be out pretty soon."

"December."

"Yeah." She looked at his face. "Are you coming back home?"

"Am I?"

"I'm not stopping you."

"But you don't want me there."

Did she?

"Yes, Bruce, I do. Of course I do."

He snorted before looking away from her. "He doesn't want me there either."

"Ethan? He missed you very much and-"

"Don't act like I'm fucking stupid."

"Bruce, I can't speak for your father."

"Really? He does it so well for you."

"Do you see an amused look on my face, Bruce? I came here to see you, not have you berate me."

"Sure. Why come here when you can just stay home?"

"How would you know? You were never there."

"Who would want to be? Sorry if the smell of whiskey makes me gag. I thought it did you too until Ryan left you and you went crawling back to him."

She looked at her hands, biting her tongue. She wasn't going to fight with him. Nearly eighteen or not, he was still her son.

"I think it would be best if you got away when you get back."

"Away."

"Yes."

"To where?"

"Grandma's. She offered and we think…I think-"

"Too late. You said it. We. Ha. You mean he." Bruce looked at her and, for once, Max didn't see Fang in him. He wasn't his father. He was his own person. "You're going to let him send me away, aren't you, Mom?"

"Bruce-"

"You're too late. I'm not going to be with Grandma. I'm not going to be with any of you. It's for the better anyways, right?"

No. Of course not.

"I can't make your choices forever, Bruce. You're going to be an adult."

Looking hard at the ground, he whispered, "You let him sit around, drink all night and all day. Stumble over things, curse, and shout, but I mess up one time, one fucking time, and I have to leave. Do you even care about anyone, but him? Do you care about me? Us? Yourself?"

Max stood up and went over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she brought him into a hug. "I have to go. I have to pick up your brother from school. I'll see you next week."

"Don't even bother. I don't want you here anymore than I want him here."

Max kissed his head before walking away, out of the building. What a bad mother, they would say if they knew. No cage for her. There never would be, never again.


	9. Chapter 9

Rebuild

Chapter 9

"Turkeys."

'Yeah," Fang said, patting Elizabeth on the head. "And what else?"

"Cake."

"Well, I guess. Pie, I think you mean."

"Pumpkins. Leave."

"You mean leafs?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, what else?"

"Mash 'toes."

"Mashed potatoes? Sure. Of course."

"Ham."

"Lots of it."

"Kool Aide?"

"We have that all the time, Ellie." Fang smiled at her. "What else?"

"Corn'cap."

"What?"

"Corn'cap!"

"She's trying to say cornucopia," Max told her boyfriend, not even looking up from her sudoku puzzle.

"Max, don't just make up stupid words to make her feel better."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"Now, back to the list. What else do you get on Thanksgiving?"

"You mean white man kill day?" Ethan asked as he came out of the kitchen. "That's what it is. Why don't you go out and kill an Indian instead of turkey, Dad? That's what you really want to do."

"You're white too, stupid."

"Fang, play nice."

"I am! Or at least I'm trying."

Elizabeth patted Fang's nose before jumping off the couch to go play with her toys. Fang was no fun today. All he wanted to do was ask questions. You'd think with as old he and Mommy were, they'd know everything by now, but _no_.

"Where are you going, Ellie? We're not done!"

"Fang, stop yelling. God. Have you been drinking?"

"…I don't know when you decided that you can just openly question me, Max, but you're wrong."

"So yes," she decided, making him frown at her. "Ethan, did you clean the bathroom?"

"Uh, Mom, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm on break."

"I don't know if you noticed, but I told you to do it, so go do it."

"That's why no one likes you," Ethan said before running off. Max looked at Fang, but he just shrugged. No one liked Max. So what? Truth is truth.

* * *

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for what, Ellie?"

"I'c'eam!"

"Yeah." Fang kept scooping out the icy goodness into two bowls. "Too bad for Mom and Ethan. If they hadn't been so rude to us, they could have had some too."

"Yeah," she agreed, hugging his leg. "Fang hairy."

"I am…what did you call me?"

She giggled. "Fang."

"You can say my name!" He smiled down at her before adding a few more scoops, just for her accomplishment. After he finished, he handed her one of the bowls before heading to the living room. "Come on, Ellie."

Happily following behind her friend, she went over to the couch. Once they were sitting down, she looked at Fang and asked, "See Daddy?"

He sighed, turning on the basketball game. "I dunno, El. Ask Max. She'd know."

"Miss Daddy."

"I know." He patted her on the head. "Look! The Heat is getting beat. Say yay."

"Yay," she cheered, though he could tell that she wasn't into it. If Lebron getting beat couldn't cheer someone up, Fang didn't know what could.

"You know, Ellie, I'm sure that your Dad misses you too. You'll probably see him soon."

"Go trip. No take me."

"He couldn't. You had to stay here with Mommy. She can't have you and Bruce gone."

The toddler started to whine, now overcome with grief about her lost brother and father. "Bubba! Me wan' B'uce! An' Daddy."

Fang groaned. "Well, don't whine about it. You're going to get tears in your ice cream."

She sniffled. "Sad."

"You're sad?" He sighed. "What do you want me to do about it? You wanna play? Huh? Puppets? Or something? Color books?"

She glanced at the television before back at him. "My pony?"

"What?"

"My pony?"

"My Little Pony?"

She nodded to the TV. "My pony?"

"You want to watch My Little Pony during the game?"

"Yes."

Fang took a deep breath before turning it on. Elizabeth cuddled against his side, staring at the television while eating her ice cream. Mommy and Ethan went shopping, so it was just her and Fang. She was offered a chance to go, but she couldn't leave Fang all alone by himself. He was so needy.

"Well, just make yourself comfortable, I guess," Fang grumbled, making Elizabeth giggle. "It's okay. Feel better, little one."

"Not little!"

"Of course you are. You're my little friend."

"No!"

"Yes!" He ate some of his ice cream before hugging her to his side. "I…like being with you, Ellie. And if Bruce and your dad are too stupid to be with you, then that's their fault."

* * *

Fang was in a deep sleep when Max came back home. He and Elizabeth had moved to the bedroom for their nap, both of their stomach's now wishing they had not eaten as much ice cream as they had.

He was woken up when she climbed into bed and kissed his cheek. Groaning, Fang moved his hands up to push her away, but Max mistook it for him trying to cuddle with her.

"I'm back," she whispered in his ear before kissing it. Opening his eyes a little, Fang glanced at Max before turning to his other side and saw Elizabeth cuddled against his side, still sleeping.

"Great," he mumbled sleepily. "You buy all the stuff for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah."

"You stop by the liquor store for me?"

"No."

"Max," he scolded. "I ask you to do one thing."

"One thing? If I only did one thing a day for you, 98% of this stuff in this house wouldn't get done."

He waved her off before kissing her head. "Be quiet. I'm sleeping."

"Is that what you're doing?" She kissed his lips this time. Fang turned his head, making her frown. "What?"

"The baby was asking about her dad again."

"He's still out of town."

"I know. I just mean…she's so sad."

"She was sad about Bruce being gone at first too and now she's over it. Mostly."

"No. She was crying about that and Ryan earlier."

"He had something to do."

"He went on vacation," Fang corrected.

"Whatever."

"Why do you defend him, Max?"

"He's Elizabeth's father, Fang. Don't talk shit about him, alright?"

"I'm not trying to. I'm just saying, I never went on vacation while we were separated. And I definitely wouldn't go on one when I still don't have a house and am living with my mother. Or leave my kid behind. What's he going on? Two weeks? Has he called? Is he dead? Who knows!"

"Calm down. Go drink something."

"I'm fucking out because you didn't-"

"Stop cursing, Fang."

"You started it!"

"Just go out and get your wine."

"It's fucking whiskey and you know it!"

Elizabeth began to whine as she woke up and they both stopped fighting to tend to the toddler. Fang pulled her up onto his chest, rubbing her back a little. Max leaned over and kissed her head.

"Are you okay, baby? We didn't mean to wake you."

She just moaned, keeping her eyes closed. Fang patted the back of her head. "She can say my name now. I mean really say it."

Max smiled. "You can? Can you say it for me? I wanna hear, Lizzy."

She giggled a little, opening her brown eyes to stare at Fang through her tangled mess of sandy colored hair. "Fang me friend."

"And you can say friend? More ice cream…as soon as my stomach feels better."

Max made a face, staring at her daughter. "You didn't comb her hair today. Did you two brush your teeth?"

"Max, that is a personal question."

"So no?"

"Mommy see Daddy?" Elizabeth asked, pushing up off Fang's chest to stare at her mother. "Daddy?"

"You know that he's out of town. You'll see him soon."

She whined for a second before getting distracted by rubbing her hands on Fang's face. He hadn't shaved in a week and was now stubbly, much to the enjoyment of the toddler.

"Cut it out," he complained, but she just giggled. "I don't like this. It's awkward. Max."

"What?"

"Stop her."

"You're just as capable of putting a stop to it."

Finally, Elizabeth just kissed Fang's nose and moved to lay down on the bed again. Max laid her head on Fang's chest, sighing a little.

"Where's Ethan?" Fang asked.

"In his room." She rubbed his stomach. "I don't think that you guys spend time together anymore."

"What? Nah. We do a lot of things together. You just don't pay attention."

"Fang, he's the one that told me."

"What? No. Max, we play video games, basketball, soccer-"

"Yeah, but you always have Elizabeth with you."

"And?"

"Fang…" She looked over his side to see if Elizabeth was still awake, but found that she wasn't. "She's not your daughter. It's Ryan's job to spend time with her. I like, no, love that you two get along so well, but you need to pay attention to your boys too. I know that you and Bruce aren't going to fix anything any time soon, but you and Ethan still have a chance."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Hangout with him, just the two of you."

"…Guy time?"

"As much as I hate the way you act like guys need to be together, yeah. Guy time. Bonding. Whatever."

He looked down at Elizabeth. "I guess that you and Ellie can hangout. Girl time. Or whatever."

"Yeah, I guess." She kissed under his chin before settling out again. Fang let the two girls lay against and on him for awhile before gently trying to get up. It woke Max, but she just let him out of the bed before pulling Elizabeth to her. He headed to his son's room.

"Ethan, you wanna go somewhere with me?"

He glanced up from his videogame, but only for a moment. "Busy."

"Well, you can play your PSP in the car. Come on."

"No, D-"

"Now."

Grumbling, Ethan followed his father out to the car. As they were getting into the truck, something dawned on him.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"Huh?"

"Is she sick?"

"No. Why?" Fang frowned. "You do something to her?"

"No! I just meant, you never go anywhere without her."

Fang shook his head. "I just figured today could be a you and me day."

"Doing what?"

"Well, first, I need to go to the liquior store."

"Of course."

Fang made a face. "What else do you want to do? Huh? Food? I just ate ice cream, but I'm game."

"Whatever."

You try to do one nice thing for your kid one time and they act like a jerk. Wow. From this point on, it was stepkids only for Fang.

* * *

"Do you think I'm fat?"

Yes. "Nope."

Max glanced at him. "You're still sober. You're lying."

"Eh, debatable."

Max huffed, crossing her arms. They were both sitting down on the couch, trying to enjoy their alone time, but it wasn't working out so well. Fang was drinking and had it on some sort of horror movie. Talk about a mood killer.

He could say the same for her. Asking him stupid questions when he's trying to drink and get his scare on. The nerve. You'd think she'd have a little more compassion for his situation. His first born hated him, his youngest son didn't want anything to do with him, and his little friend was missing her Daddy. Wasn't Fang good enough for her? Huh? Huh? Who wouldn't want their own Fang? Huh? Huh? Who? No one. That's who. No one at all. She was crazy.

"My stomach still hurts."

"You probably made yourself sick. Don't just gorge on food, Fang. It's not good." She yawned a little before laying her head on his shoulder. "I don't like this movie."

"What? Why?"

"I hate horror movies."

"Since when?"

"They give me nightmares."

"Really? You never wake me up."

"I don't want you to get mad."

"Mad?" He frowned at her, taking a sip of Jack Daniels. "Max, if you need me at night, you know I'm there. Always. Okay?"

"Fang-"

"Okay? Say okay, Max. Now."

"Okay, okay."

Fang gave her a kiss on the head. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Would you still be with me if I went bald?"

She lifted her head off his shoulder for a moment to stare at him. "Would you love me if I were fat?"

"No."

"Ditto."

Laughing, he chugged some more. "Kidding. Kind of."

"Same."

"…But seriously?"

Max closed her brown eyes, sighing a little. "Fang, I already put up with drinking. Besides baldness can be fixed with a good toupee."

"There's no such thing as a good toupee, Max."

"What about you? Would you stop loving me?"

"I'd put you on Weight Watchers, maybe, but I'd still love you. I just wouldn't, like, want to touch on you a lot."

"Fang."

"Max, if it was a sudden thing, then I wouldn't be happy. But if you just put on a few every year like now-"

"You are so pushing it."

He laughed a little. "I'm drunk! You can't be mad."

"Your words are still fine. You're not drunk."

"Eh, debatable." He wrapped an arm around Max. "I need to get Ethan to forgive me."

"For what? It's not that you need forgiveness. The two of you just need to connect again."

"I don't even know when we lost our connection!"

"Let's see. When we were separated, you two were close. When you moved back in and met Elizabeth, you guys drifted. You figure it out."

"…I think that you're the common denominator."

Sighing, Max said, "Fang, what happened is the same thing that happens when you get a new dog. Sure, you love the old one, you're loyal to the old one, but the new puppy is so much more fun. So you play with it, teach it new tricks, go on longer walks with it than your old dog. It doesn't mean that you love the old one any less; it just means that you are easily distracted. Now, you need to give the puppy a few toys, put it in its crate, and go play with your old dog. He might not like it at first, but dogs are dogs. They forgive very easily."

"…Max, are you drunk? This is about children! We don't even own a dog!"

Groaning, Max pushed off the couch. "I'm going to bed. You stay out here and figure out what I meant, 'kay? Come to bed soon though. I get cold without you."

He shook his head as she left. Dogs. Was she on pot? Come o…Dogs! That was the exact answer to his problem. Ha ha. So Max was good for something. Who would have known?

* * *

"Ethan!" Fang yelled from the living room. "Get your butt out here!"

Huffing the boy walked into the room. "Wh- Wow! A dog! Mom! Mom! There's a dog!"

"A what?" Max came out of the kitchen, where she was trying to make breakfast. "Fang-"

"Is it mine?"

Fang nodded. "I was gonna get you a boy dog, but this one seemed more…energetic."

"Woof?" Elizabeth followed in behind her mother, her sippy cup in her hand. "Woof?"

The dog, who had run to Ethan, now ran to the toddler, accidentally pushing her down. Her cries just made the dog more excited and she tried to lick away Elizabeth's pain.

"Hey!" Max picked up her daughter, pushing the dog away. "Fang, get your damn dog out of here!"

"Don't curse at her!" Ethan grabbed his new dog, frowning. "Dad, make them stop."

"Everyone stop," he said, closing the front door. Sighing, he went over to Max and took Elizabeth from her. "Stop crying, Ellie. You're not hurt. You're just scared. There's nothing to be afraid of. I've got you, don't I?"

"No 'ike woof!" Elizabeth spit at the dog.

"Shhh." He looked to Max. "It's just a dog, Max. We can do a dog. We've done it before with Angel and Total."

"F-"

"No," he said before she could finish. Elizabeth wrapped an arm around Fang's neck, rubbing her head into it.

"Is this thing a pit? If it is-"

"Does it freaking look like one?"

"I don't know! It doesn't look like anything."

"It's a mutt," Fang said, rubbing Elizabeth's back. "She, I mean."

"What's her name?" Ethan asked.

"You name her."

"Is she mine though? Like can she sleep in my room?"

"As long as you housebreak her, feed her, and clean her, yeah."

"But mine? Like…not Elizabeth's? Or Bruce's?"

"Nope. All yours."

"Good." He patted his dog on her head.

"Me?" Elizabeth looked up at Fang.

"I, uh, didn't get you anything this time. Just this once, Ethan got something."

"Me?" She repeated.

Max crossed her arms as Fang began to cave. "Just for Ethan, Fang."

"But…" He bounced Elizabeth a little. "You can't always get something new just because your brother does."

"Me?" She asked, now sounding annoyed.

"No. You didn't get anything."

Rearing back, she hit him in the head with her Teletubbies sippy cup. "Bad! Bad Fang! No 'ike woof! No 'ike Fang! No 'ike Et'an! Daddy! Wan' Daddy! Wan't B'uce! B'uce!"

"You little fucking brat!" He put her on the ground as she continued to assault his head with her cup. "I fucking don't do one fucking thing for you and hit me with the goddamn-"

"Fang!"

He took a deep breath as Ethan and his new dog ran off, probably to his bedroom. By now, Ethan knew that when his dad was mad at one, he was mad at all. The dog, who inevitably will eventually pee or poop on the carpet, would learn that too pretty soon.

Elizabeth began to cry, sitting down on the ground. Fang didn't buy her nothing, he yelled at her, and the big doggie was mean to her! This was horrible! What a horrible day! She hated Thanksgiving now!

"Fang, you do not yell at-"

"She hit me, Max. She always hits me or whines or cries or something." He looked hard down at Elizabeth. He needed a drink bad and was now going to take it out on her. "For once, I did something for one of _my_ kids. Then your little brat started crying like a baby. Guess what, Max? She's _your_ problem. Not _my_ problem. She's _Ryan's_ daughter. I don't have one."

Max looked off to the side for a second. "No one ever said you did, Fang. Ever. And you've gone and got yourself worked up, like the little drama queen you always are. Now you have her worked up too. You should have just told her that you didn't get her anything and-"

"I don't have to tell her anything, Max. She's your kid."

"Yeah, that's right, she is my kid. She's my daughter. Not my problem. My daughter. Maybe you think of your kids as a problem, but I don't." Max picked up the toddler off the ground, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "But you, Fang, are my boyfriend. That means that you live in this house with my daughter. You're going to be good to her. The end."

"Whatever," he said, walking off to the kitchen to get some Jameson.

* * *

"Hey, E.T." Fang walked into his youngest son's bedroom and saw him on the floor with the dog, rubbing her stomach. "What are you doing?"

"Playing with Casino."

"What kind of-"

"You said I could name her."

"…Fine. Alright. Whatever." Fang leaned against the doorframe. "You wanna go out to eat? It's Thanksgiving."

"Nah, I'll just eat a sandwich."

"Okay. Casino has a food bowl in the kitchen and a water bowl. There's a bag of hard food in there too. Feed her and then take her out on the leash to pee and poop. Has she already?"

"Yeah, but Mom showed me how to clean it up."

"Be sure to hit her too."

"Dad."

"I'm serious. That's how dogs learn."

"Okay," Ethan agreed, though he knew he'd never hurt his dog. Fang left the room and then the house, in search of something to eat. And maybe he went over to a friend's and drank a little. Maybe. Anyways, when he got back home, the house was dead. Yawning, he stumbled around to his bedroom.

When he got there, Max and Elizabeth were both in the bed. The baby was sleeping, but her mother was up, visibly upset.

"What's wrong?" He slurred out as he collapsed onto the bed. He reached out to touch Elizabeth, but Max stopped him.

"Don't wake her back up. She's been flipping out because you were mean to her."

Fang laid down on his back, closing his eyes. "What's wrong with ya?"

"Ryan called me."

Breathing slowly, he asked, "What'd he say?"

"…He's…not coming back."

Fang frowned. "What do ya mean?"

"He's not coming back, Fang."

"Here? Home?"

"Yeah."

"…So…You…Like...When he needs to see Ellie, you're gonna take 'er to see 'im?"

"…He wants to…He met someone."

"Oh."

"He always, like, wanted a son. He and Ethan got along, remember?"

"Yeah."

"Elizabeth is good, but…she's not."

"Right."

"This woman has sons. They don't hate him like Bruce did."

"Then…What about Elizabeth?"

"She's here. With me." Max ran a hand down her baby's stomach. "He doesn't…want her. Now. Right now."

"What'd 'bout support?"

"Child support? I don't know. I'm really not concerned with that right now."

Fang opened his eyes a looked down at Elizabeth. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

Groaning, he forced himself to sit up. "We…didn't have…parents. We're fine. And she has you."

"Yeah."

Pulling his shirt off, Fang added, "She's so young. She'll forget him."

"That is if he doesn't change his mind."

He wouldn't. Fang knew he wouldn't. This had to be a hard decision for him. One that it's just easier to not look back. Maybe if Fang wasn't so drunk, he'd find it in him to be angry. Even though he was the one that said Elizabeth wasn't his problem, she was.

"Maybe," Fang agreed, just to make sure Max didn't flip out on him.

"And, it's not like she needs him. She has me. Always."

"Yeah."

Max let out a breath slowly. "This is by far the worst Thanksgiving ever."

"Yeah," he mumbled as she reached out to touch his arm. Fang looked down at the baby between them and forced a smile for her, even though she couldn't see it.

"I'm going to see Bruce tomorrow."

"Cool."

"Yeah. He's getting out soon."

"I know."

"He hasn't gotten into any trouble while he was there. That means that the judge will probably release him with some community service."

"Yep."

"He kept up his grades too."

"I know."

"Just thought I'd remind you," Max mumbled, removing her hand from him and laying down. Fang ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

"Fang?"

"What?"

"She…Do you think…You could…"

"What, Max?"

"She needs a dad."

"Yeah."

"I mean, Ryan'll come back eventually, so I don't want you to, like, try and make her call you Dad or anything, you should just leave it at Fang, but…Would you?"

"Thought I already was?"

Max smiled before pulling Elizabeth to her and going to sleep. Fang watched them for awhile before getting up and going to get some more to drink before going to bed.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Fang made a face at Bruce. "To visit the bar. What do you think, Bruce?"

He huffed, moving aside so his father could come into his room. Fang looked around, trying to think of something to say, but knowing that whatever he did would come up short.

"You know, I didn't expect them to just let me waltz in here. All they did was check my license and tell me your room number. Ain't very safe."

"They're more concerned with people getting out, not the ones coming in."

"Just figured-"

"What do you want?"

Fang looked at the wall. "Pictures. Where'd you get these?"

"Ethan. Now why are you here?"

"Look at that. I've never seen these," Fang said, staring at the photos of his family. "You even have some of Ellie. Thought she was the spawn?"

"I've grown up, okay?"

In a few months? Fang shook his head. "So I guess your mother told you what happened on Thanksgiving."

"What? That Ethan got a dog?"

Frowning, Fang turned to face him. "No. About Ryan."

"What about him?"

"He left. Like permanently."

"That…sucks for Elizabeth."

"Yes. Yes, it does."

"But why are you here?"

Taking a deep breath, Fang said, "You're not coming home when you get out."

"I know."

"And it's not your mother's decision, so don't blame her."

"I don't."

"Right."

"Look, this isn't any shit that I haven't heard from here, so why don't you just leave?"

Fang breathed deeply before letting it out slowly. "Bruce, I am trying to connect to you, alright? When you get out, I probably won't see you much, so-"

"And whose fault is that?"

"Gee, maybe the person that can't keep his anger under control?"

"So we agree that it's you?"

Clinching his fists, Fang spoke through gritted teeth. "Look, kid, I'm trying to patch things up, but you have to work with me."

"I don't have to do anything."

"You act like such a little bitch sometimes, you know that?" Fang wanted to spit on the ground so that he could get his word venom out some way else. "I'm trying, Bruce. I really am."

"Just like you're trying with Ethan? Where's my fucking dog?"

"You want a dog? I'll buy you a dog, a cat, and a horse if you want. That what you want? Huh? Huh? You want all those things, little boy?" Fang shook his head. "Grow up."

"Why don't you?"

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. You act like your still ten years old."

"Is that what I act like?" Bruce crossed his arms. "How would you know? This is the first time I've seen you in months."

"You told me to stay away!"

"And you listened."

"I always listen, Bruce."

"Whatever." He went and laid down on his bed, closing his eyes. "Just leave."

"No. I'm not going to just leave, Bruce. I want…I need you to stop acting like you hate me."

"…I never said that I hate you."

"You say it all the time."

"Well, I don't mean it!"

"Bruce, I'm not here for me. I'm hardly even here for you. I'm here for Max. Whether you like it or not, you're going to have her in your life for the long haul. And since I'm with her, I'll be right there. Always. Not to even mention you're my son. You realize that, right? You're my son. Okay?"

"What does this change, huh? Nothing. You're just here to look good in front of Mom. Just fess up."

"Bruce, I just…I don't know, alright?"

"Well, I do know."

Fang looked around, not knowing what to say.

"…I have to go to therapy." Bruce stood up. "You have to leave now."

"Bruce-"

"You have to. Bye."

Shaking his head, Fang just walked out. No one can ever say that he doesn't try. Ever.


	10. Chapter 10

Rebuild

Chapter 10

Max didn't really think he could be serious. How could someone seriously just forget that they had a daughter? Yet, she found out slowly that Ryan was serious. It was now December and she had been waiting around for Ryan to at least call and ask for Max to drive Elizabeth down for Christmas. He hadn't.

Fang had gone ahead and decided that Ryan isn't coming back. He never brought it up to Max again, just would play with Lizzy and distract her when she brought up Ryan. Of course, she had been mad at Fang at first over the fact he had yelled at her, but the next day, he took her to the kitchen with him and they made Thanksgiving dinner a day late and all was forgiven. It's not like she ever stayed mad at him anyways.

Today, though, something more important was happening. Not that Ryan leaving Elizabeth wasn't important to Max, because it was, but she knew that Fang would be there for her. Right now, her focus was more on Bruce coming home.

"Are we going now?"

"Not yet, Ethan."

"But Mom, I don't wanna be late. What if he leaves before we get there?"

"Where would he go?"

"Just start walking!"

She hadn't thought about that. She doubted that he would do that and also didn't think that he would be allowed. Though, now that the thought was in her head…

"Fang!" Max walked out of the bathroom where she had been combing her hair, past Ethan who was standing in the doorway, and to the living room. Fang was drinking on the couch while watching some little kid's show, Elizabeth in his lap. "I think we should go now."

"Go?"

"To get Br…Are you drunk?"

"Not yet."

"Well stop that. You can't go drunk."

Groaning, he said, "Max, he doesn't want me there. You know that he doesn't want me there. You go. I'll stay."

"Oh, because he'll like you better at home drunk?"

"I don't want him to walk in here and forget that this is his home. Too much change is never a good thing."

"I don't think...Fine. We're leaving now. Come on, Ethan."

"Go?" Elizabeth sat up in Fang's lap. "Go?"

"We're going to get Bruce, Elizabeth," Ethan told his younger sister. Casino, who had been napping on the floor, stretched before standing.

"Woof?"

"Casino can't go, Ellie."

"Me?"

"I dunno. Mom? Can Elizabeth come with us?"

Max sighed, staring at her daughter. "You don't want to stay with Fang?"

She started to say yes, but Max started speaking again first.

"Though he is drinking…fine. Come on, Lizzy."

Leaning up, she kissed Fang's cheek before jumping out of his lap and rushing over to Casino. She gave her a kiss too before walking over to her brother.

"Ready!" She held up her hands to be picked up. When he didn't do so, she started to whine. "Et'an!"

Groaning, he lifted her up. "Fine. But I can't carry you when Bruce comes back. He hates you."

Hate? Her big bubba? No. Ethan was so stupid.

Max sighed a little. "Come on, kids. Bye, Fang."

"Bye-bye," Elizabeth called to him. "Bye-bye woof!"

Casino barked as they left the house. Max shook her head, trailing behind her kids all the way to the car.

"Ethan, sit in back with Elizabeth."

"Mom-"

"He won't want to."

"I know, but I'll just move when we get there. Okay?"

"Fine," Max said, not wanting to fight. She had a bad head ache, a bad stomach ache, and an all around bad feeling about the coming events. Fang said that he would be nice when they came home and at least cordial until he left. He was already started on his drinking for the day though, so there was no telling how the night would go. "At least buckle Lizzy up in her car seat. Can you do that?"

"I'm not a little kid, Mom."

"I know. Just…be quiet, please."

"Are you sick?"

"A little."

"Oh." He buckled up his sister and then found her a stuffed animal off the floor board to play with before getting into the front seat. Not before kissing her first. He could never hate his sister like Bruce. He loved her.

Max immediately switched the radio on because what CD was in was one that her mother sent her for Lizzy. It was little kid Christian songs. It made her want to blow her brains out. When Fang was drunk and they would fight, she'd move it to his truck, knowing that if he tried to drive drunk, he wouldn't be able to figure out how to turn it off and have to give up.

Turning down the rap station that Max had it set on, she glanced back at Elizabeth to make sure that she was okay before pulling out of the drive way.

About ten minutes into the drive, the toddler began to get restless. After recounting her tale of how her favorite stuffed animal became real, which really was just her taking the parts she remembered from Pinocchio and retelling them, she had nothing to do. So she found whining an interesting way to pass the time.

"Fang. I wan' Fang."

"Elizabeth, stop it," Max said with a frown. "I mean it. I asked you if you wanted to come and you said yes. Be a big girl."

"Am big girl!"

"Good. Then shut up and stop whining."

"No!"

"You want me to hit you?"

She cuddled her stuffed animal to her, but stayed quiet. Ethan glanced at his mom before back at his sister.

"It's okay, Elizabeth. We're going to see Bruce. You wanna see Bruce, huh?"

"Yes! Love B'uce! My bubba B'uce! B'uce! Ya!"

"Great, Ethan. You made her yell."

"I was just trying to help."

"Gee, thanks." Max sighed. "Elizabeth, the better you behave, the quicker you get to see Bruce. So just sit there, quietly, and think of all the things you wanna do with him."

"P'ay, show B'uce woof…p'ay-"

"In your head, sweetie."

"'kay."

"See, Ethan? It's that easy." Max turned her radio back up, shaking her head.

When they finally got to the place, Max looked at the clock and realized they still had an hour until it was time for him to be released. Parking, she sighed as Ethan unbuckled his seat belt.

"B'uce?"

"He'll come out soon."

Elizabeth started humming, so Max turned up her radio louder. She was half asleep listening to Nas rap and Elizabeth whine over Ethan's trying to calm her down, when there was a tapping on the window.

"Bruce!" She sat up and opened her car door. "Oh my God."

"You were kind of supposed to come in," he said. "Can you pop the trunk?"

"Yeah, of course." She did so before reaching out to hug him, but he was already walking to the back of the car. She closed her door, sighing.

"I can sit in back," Ethan said a moment later as his brother climbed into the back seat.

"No, it's fine."

"Really, he can," Max said, turning down the radio.

"I said its fine." He buckled his seat belt and sat a backpack down on the floor board.

"B'uce!" Elizabeth reached out for him before beginning to cry. Max groaned, about to tell Ethan to get in the back and deal with her, when Bruce just reached over and took her out of her car seat.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking down at her in his lap.

"Miss 'ou! Miss 'addy." She sniffled. "Miss Fang. Miss woof."

'You have a wolf?" He frowned, but then decided that it was one of her stuffed animals.

"Big woof." She rubbed her tear covered face on his shirt. "Big bubba. Hi."

"Hi."

"Mom?" Ethan whispered, staring at them. "I'm scared."

Max just swallowed. "Put her back in her car seat, Bruce, so that I can start driving."

He hugged his little sister for probably the first time in his life and Max sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for the Devil to come reclaim his spawn or Jesus to come down and begin the resurrection, but nothing happened. Huh.

Ethan, however, feared for another reason. Before Bruce left, he hated Elizabeth. Now he liked her. Before he left, he also like Ethan. So now…No! Stupid Elizabeth, taking his brother. Bruce was his first. She wasn't going to take that from him.

"Here, get down." Bruce picked her up a lot gentler than he ever had before and sat her down in her car seat before getting her settled again. "Okay?"

She just giggled. She told them all that her bubba loved her. Did they believe her? No. Geez, some people.

"Okay, so we're ready?" Max pulled out a CD from the stack under the stereo and put it in. After an hour, the radio, much like CDs, just repeats. The difference was though, CDs can say whatever they want.

"Mom, I don't think this is very kid friendly."

Max frowned as she stopped at a red light. "What?"

"The CD." Bruce nodded at Elizabeth before the back of the front seat. "They're kids. They shouldn't listen to cursing."

Coming from the biggest curser alive's son? Who was well on his way to following in his father's footsteps?

"No offence, Bruce, but these are my children."

"No offence, Mom, but you didn't do so hot the first time."

"Look, little boy-"

"Mom, the light's green," Ethan interrupted, not wanting them to fight so soon.

Max took a deep breath, but didn't take out her CD. She was raised on swearing and she turned out fine. Of course, the cuss words were coming from the people who were also experimenting on her, but whatever. And Fang…well, he doesn't count. Drunk people never count.

They were driving for a minute when Bruce spoke again.

"I have prescriptions that I need to fill."

"For what?" Ethan asked. "Are you sick?"

"No. They're-"

"Just medication, Ethan," Max said, speaking over her oldest son.

"Mom, he's not a little kid. And besides, I'm not embarrassed that I have to take them," Bruce said. "Ethan-"

'Bruce, be quiet."

"Mom-"

"I said to be quiet."

Elizabeth threw her stuffed toy at Bruce. "Hi!"

He gave it back to her, along with a pat on the head. After a stop at the pharmacy to fill the prescription, Max took the kids home. Well, two kids and one think he knows everything man. Tell her not to play her music…Oh shit, she had to warn Fang.

The second they pulled up, Max got out of the car and ran into the house, wanting to tell Fang a few things before the prodigal son returned.

"Fang, before he comes in here, there's something I want you to know," Max said, going over to the couch. Fang hadn't moved in the slightest, though his bottle was about out. God, he was like caring for Lizzy.

"Wha'?"

"He's changed."

"Since a few weeks ago?" Fang frowned. "Nah."

"Yes. I don't know why, but he-"

"Fang!" Elizabeth clapped her hands as Bruce carried her into the house, Ethan following with his brother's bags. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Bubba home." She patted Bruce's face as Fang sat there in shock. "Hi, bubba."

"Hi."

Ethan sat Bruce's bags down. "While you were gone, I might of accidentally taken your lava lamps from your rooms, but only on accident, and I might have lost them, so…"

"You can keep them, Ethan. And grow up. If you want something, just ask. I'll probably say yes."

"You know how you always kept the X-Box in your room? I might have moved it to mine."

"Take it. I don't really play video games. I mean, I haven't had them since I got sent away."

"And your TV was bigger, so…"

"Keep it."

While Ethan had to keep his jaw from hitting the floor, Fang chose to speak.

"So…you're all like fixed and shit?"

"I don't like cursing so…"

Max had never noticed how many times all the guys said so.

"Oh. Neither does Dr. Martinez."

"What?" Max huffed. "Fang, you haven't seen him in how many months and-"

"He's seen. He came to visit."

"Yeah." Fang yawned. "When are you leaving for Arizona?"

"I have a court date here in January, so Mom said I can stay until then."

What? That long? Fang held down his anger. "I mean…Rawr, Ellie."

"Rawr!" She pushed out of Bruce's arms and ran over to Fang. "Rawr, Fang!"

Casino came out of the kitchen, wagging her tail. Bruce smiled.

"That's your dog, Ethan?"

"Yeah. Her name's Casino."

"Woof!" Elizabeth wrapped Fang's arms around her. "Hi, woof."

Casino barked and, after a check of Bruce, went to go lay down. Max sighed.

"Go put your stuff in your room, Bruce. And anything that Ethan took that you want back, take now. No fighting, boys. You're both too old."

Ethan ran off with Bruce to his bedroom and for once, Bruce didn't complain. Fang sat his drink down and then put his hands over Elizabeth's ears. She thought that that was some sort of affectionate gesture and giggled.

"What is wrong with him?"

"I think it's his medication."

"He was medi..cam…ated when I saw him."

"Medicated?"

"Yeah."

"And when did you see him?"

"It's not im…port…you know the word."

Elizabeth laid her hands over Fang's, which were still pressed to her head. "Fang!"

He let her go and she immediately cuddled back against him. Fang sighed a little.

"January, Max?"

"Yep."

"Great."

"Be nice." With that, Max went into the kitchen to make lunch. Hope Bruce liked whatever he was eating there, because it was back to fish sticks and fries for him.

* * *

"No, Fang."

"But I'm horny."

"Fang."

"What? I am." He rolled onto his side. "It's not my fault."

"You work in the morning and I have to get up and take Bruce to his counselor."

"So?"

"I have to look it up on Google Maps."

"Hard job, Max. Hey, you know what else is hard? And what else ends in job?"

"And do you know what else isn't happening?"

"Fine." Fang closed his eyes. "Hey, Max? How do you spell Lizzy?"

"What do you mean?"

"This whole time, whenever I was emailing Nudge and Angel and your mom, I spelled it L-i-z-z-i-e."

"I like it with a y."

"I know. Nudge sent me an email telling me that it sucks that I can't even spell my stepkid's name."

"It's not her name. It's a nickname. You don't even call her that. What is it that you call her?"

"Ellie."

"She likes that. And she's not your stepchild. We're not married."

"In Texas, we're common law."

"Yeah, well, we're from the north."

"Not really."

"Our kids are." She rolled over in bed to stare at him. "Fang?"

"What, baby?"

"Bruce is so…different. Haven't you noticed?"

"How could I not? And what the fuck was up with him holding Elizabeth? If I wasn't so drunk, I would have probably passed out from shock."

"I think that he just missed us."

"Maybe. I guess. But he saw you and Ethan."

"Not Ellie though. He probably felt bad about all the things that he said to her before he left and now is trying to make it up."

"Still. He used to beat up Ethan. You need to watch him and her."

"What? Fang, he would never hurt her."

"I never thought he would hurt little Ethan either."

Max closed her eyes, sighing. "Ethan's not little anymore, Fang. We need to stop treating him like he is."

"He is little. So is Bruce. And of course the girl. They're all just kids, Max."

"Bruce is a man now, Fang."

He snorted. "He's as much of a man as you are. And we both know, you are all woman."

Sighing, she asked him if he always corny. He just kissed her before rolling over to go to sleep.

* * *

"D'aw B'uce pic-ter."

"Another?" He looked at about the thirtieth one with disdain before glancing at his mother. "Mom, she keeps scribbling on paper."

Max, who was sleeping on the couch, said, "She's expressing herself."

"Like this?"

Max sat up on her elbows and looked at her youngest wearily. "Baby, Bruce is just getting home. You don't want to tire out on drawing pictures do you? He'll be here until January."

Elizabeth looked back at Bruce. "No 'ike my pic-ter?"

"Well…" He took a few deep breaths. "I…love…it."

"Make 'nother."

"No, no," he said quickly. "Like Mom said, I'm here till January. It can wait."

"B'uce leave?"

"Well, yeah. I'm going to go stay with Granny for awhile."

What? Her big bubba came all the way here to spend time with her, to finally love her, and he was just going to leave?

"No," she decided, going back to her paper.

"No?" Bruce questioned, looking back at his mother, who had fallen back on her back, eyes closed once more. He assumed she was sleeping, but she was actually listening. Sure, she thought Bruce had changed, but she wanted to make sure without a doubt that he didn't yell at Lizzy or anything.

"B'uce stay. Daddy stay. Fang stay. Mommy stay." She grabbed green crayon and drew what she thought was a dog, but what Bruce thought looked like grass. "E'tan go."

"What? Why?"

"E'tan too loud." She handed him another piece of paper. "Woof!"

"What?" Ethan, who was sitting in the chair, frowned. "Ellie…How can you choose him over me? He says horrible things about you all the time. I've been there from day one. Day one! Well…actually day three because I was staying with Dad the first few days you were born, but the same difference."

Max groaned. "Could you all be a little bit quieter? Like…watch Toy Story or something. Bruce hasn't seen it since he left, Ethan."

Bruce had a look of horror on his face, but Ethan's next words saved him.

"Mom, I do not watch it anymore. Unless, you know, I have a date over."

"Dates?" Bruce asked. "He dates?"

"No," Max said, rolling her eyes. "…Do you?"

"Dad lets my girlfriend come over sometimes while you're at work."

"Why haven't I met her? Or even heard about her?" Max frowned at her youngest son.

"You haven't asked. Plus…after the way you treated Sabrina, me and Dad decided it was best if we kept her a secret."

This was the first time that Sabrina had been brought up since Bruce got home and Max was afraid that it would bring her old son back. Well, not as afraid as kind of hopeful. This Bruce was nice and everything, but she honestly missed real Bruce. Her Bruce. Him changing this much was like the therapists shoving it in her face that she had raised a crappy son and they went and had to change him.

Bruce just stood up, taking Elizabeth with him, and went into the kitchen. Ethan, not one to be left out, ran into there with them. Max just closed her eyes and finally went to sleep.

* * *

"I love B'uce."

Max, who was making dinner…well, putting frozen fries on a pan, looked down at her daughter while Fang, who was drinking at the table, spoke.

"Why?"

"Fang-"

"He's being weird, Max. And now he has Elizabeth all riled up about their newfound love. What's up with that? The only thing I like newfound is glory, thanks."

Elizabeth jumped up and down on the ground. "Fang love B'uce!"

"You can't just say that and it be true."

"Fang," Max sighed, putting the pan in the oven. "You love Bruce. He is your son."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I mean it. Say it."

"Max-"

"Say it."

"I love Bruce."

"Good." She picked Elizabeth up before going over to the freezer. "Okay, do we want fish sticks or chicken strips?"

"Again?" Fang groaned. "Max-"

"Fang, if you want to eat something different, gee, I don't know, freaking make something."

"No, thank you."

"Alright then."

"At least you're not one of those women that always cook hotdogs and mac'n'cheese. I hate that. I think that fish sticks and fries are a step up. To a caring mother. Although, a real mother would make a real dinner. I've never dated one of those though."

"I would really suggest you stop mentioning other women, Fang. Now what do you want to eat, Lizzy?"

She reached out and pointed to the bag of chicken strips before laying her head on her mother's shoulder.

"B'uce?" She asked, yawning.

"He went…Where did he go, Fang?"

"Hell if I know."

"Did he take Ethan with him?"

"Better not have. Something ain't right with that boy. Ain't himself. Probably gonna kill us in our sleep. Or at least try."

"Bubba?" Elizabeth looked over Max's shoulder at Fang. He nodded, which of course made her burst into tears.

"Fang! God, can you go one day without making her cry?"

He sighed, standing up. Stumbling at first, he quickly righted himself before going over to them. "Ellie, I'll never let him hurt you. Ever."

She reached out for him, but Max wouldn't let her go.

"You're drunk. Go sit back down."

"Not without my best friend. And I'm not drunk…yet."

Sighing, she gave up her daughter, but made sure that he safely made it back to his chair first. She was making coffee when she heard the front door open and close. Ethan came running into the kitchen.

"Mom, you have to-"

"Are you shoes muddy? Ethan-"

"-come meet someone."

"What?"

"You have to come meet someone."

"Who?"

"Come on. You too…Never mind, Dad. Ellie can come, but you're…I don't want Bruce to get mad. Come on, Mom. And Elizabeth."

Bruce? Elizabeth pushed out of Fang's lap and jumped onto the ground, running after her brother. Max sighed, going to the living room too. This had better not be one of his punk ass friends, because Max was so not dealing with that.

"Mom," Bruce said as she walked into the living room. "This is Chase. My girlfriend."

Max just stared at him and his...girlfriend.

"By the way, don't mention Sabrina in any way," Ethan mumbled to his mother under his breath. "Ever again."

Sabrina…That was a laugh now. This girl was different from her in nearly every way. Where as Sabrina was Hispanic, this girl was clearly white. Blonde too. Blah. As much as Max hated her, at least Sabrina was smart. This girl wasn't. She couldn't be. Stupid, ditsy blonde…Of course, Max too was blonde at one point. And she was ditsy too back then…kind of. The point was, she did not like this…Chase.

When it was obvious that Max wasn't going to speak, Ethan chose to.

"They met at his rehab."

"What?"

Bruce made a face at his brother. "Ethan-"

"I'm helping."

Elizabeth marched over to Bruce, who was still standing near the door with his new girlfriend. "Up, B'uce."

"She's cute," Chase said, to which Elizabeth beamed. Bruce picked her up and Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're name's Elizabeth?"

Now embarrassed, she pressed her face into Bruce's neck. He just bounced her a little, sighing.

"You can't just leave me out of everythin'," Fang complained as he finally came stumbling out of the kitchen. When he saw Bruce's new girlfriend, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Chase."

"Are you drunk?" Bruce frowned. "Seriously?"

"You didn't tell him that you were bringing someone over," Max defended before she could stop herself. That's all she was good at these days, defending Fang. Lord knows he needs it. Chase moved back a little.

"I can leave if this is a bad time."

"You could stay for dinner," Ethan offered, which got him a look from the rest of his family, save Elizabeth, who was still being bashful.

"You could," Max said slowly. Bruce had been being so good since he got home. She didn't want to make him angry. Maybe, just this once, she could actually like his girlfriend. Maybe. She's still a stupid blonde though…

"What are we eating?" Bruce asked.

"Your sister wanted fries and chicken strips."

"Again?" Ethan whined.

"No. Yesterday was fish sticks and curly fries. Today is steak fries and chicken strips. Completely different, Ethan." Max rolled her eyes. "You could be more appreciative."

Chase smiled, which made Max wanted to barf. "I can stay. Really."

"If you want," Bruce sighed, setting Elizabeth back down. She ran over to Fang to be picked up, but he was having a hard enough time staying up himself. "How long, Mom?"

"Twenty minutes or so." She went to sit down on the couch. Once Elizabeth realized Fang wasn't going to pick her up, she went to climb into her mother's lap. "Fang…go take a nap, alright?"

"No. My house. I can be drunk in my house if I wanna." He went to go sit down in the chair as Bruce took his girlfriend's hand and led her further into the house, presumably to his bedroom. Ethan quickly tagged along, the new Bruce not complaining in the slightest.

"Are we just going to let this girl eat with us?" Fang whisper hissed.

Max sighed. "Fang, we don't have that much longer with him. Let's just get passed Christmas and New Years, alright?"

Elizabeth patted Max's face. "Love big bubba."

She just gave her a kiss, sighing a little. "I know you do. We all do. I think."

* * *

"So…Why'd you get sent to rehab?"

"Ethan." Max made eyes at him.

"What? It was a question. Never mind." He grabbed the bottle of ketchup from the center of the table. "You find something to talk about then."

Elizabeth looked up from mashing up her French fries to say hello to Chase again. She liked Chase. She was pretty. Pretty like…well, pretty like her, of course. After all, Elizabeth was the prettiest person around. Chase smiled back and told her hi again, which was about the eighth time in the past five minutes.

Fang, who at the moment had his head down on the table, groaned in his sleep. He was having the worst dream ever. Bruce had come home and was ruining everything. When he would wake up later, he'd realize it was reality, but for now it was just a horrible nightmare.

"Is he okay?" Chase asked, frowning. "He could choke in his sleep, if he's drunk, you know."

"We could only be so lucky," Max commented dryly, just watching as Elizabeth moved on to Fang's plate to play with. "Lizzy, eat."

"No 'izzy! Ellie!"

Max frowned. "What?"

"No 'izzy," Elizabeth repeated before finally eating one of her chicken strips. "Ellie. Fang say."

Hearing his name, Fang let out a loud noise, but still didn't lift his head. Elizabeth patted his head before going back to Fang's plate. Bruce sighed a little, giving Ethan his chicken.

"Something wrong, Bruce?" Chase asked, making Max hate her even more for asking what she was planning to. The stupid twat…

"I'm just not hungry."

"That's cool," Ethan said, reaching over to take the rest of his food. "You can eat with Dad when he eats his second dinner."

"I don't think your father's eating anything tonight," Max said as Fang snorted in his sleep.

"You done?" Bruce asked his girlfriend. "We can go if you are."

"Go?" Elizabeth looked up from her friend's plate. "No go."

"You could stay and watch a movie," Max suggested before biting her tongue. Damn her and her niceness… It was a curse, really.

"Yeah!" Ethan smiled at them. "We could watch Fantastic Four or X-Men or Batman Begins or…Oh, yeah, you're a girl. We could watch The Notebook or something…I guess…"

Chase smiled at him. "Actually, I kind of wanted to watch Toy Story."

It was quiet for a second before Elizabeth said, "Okay!"

"We can if you want," Ethan said, though his eyes betrayed his tone. "I think we have it…maybe…"

Chase stood up, following Ethan to the living room. Elizabeth held up her ketchup covered hands to Bruce and he took her to the sink to wash her off before sending her off to go watch the movie she had seen more in her short life so far than most people ever would.

"Aren't you going to be with your _girlfriend_?"

Bruce frowned at his mother as he put the plates in the sink. "No. I'm helping you clean up."

"Oh…Fine. Whatever."

"You can't not like her, Mom. You don't even know her."

"I know her enough, thank you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means."

"No, I don't think I do."

"She was at that center with you."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Not for the same reasons."

"No?"

"It's not just a detention center, Mom. Like Ethan said, it's a rehab too."

"Great, you brought home a drug attic. Or is it drunk?"

"Neither, thank you."

"Then what, Bruce?"

"You-"

"She cuts herself, huh?"

They both turned to look at Fang, who still had his head down.

"What?" Max frowned.

"How'd you know?" Bruce asked, turning back to the sink.

"That jacket. It's fucking hot in here and she refuses to take it off."

"And?"

"She rolled up her sleeves when she was helping wash Elizabeth up for dinner. She put them down again quickly, but she did. I saw."

"You're also drunk," Max added on.

"That too."

Bruce breathed out through his nose. "Just shut up, okay?"

This was the first time that he had gotten angry since he arrived home and it made Max slightly happy, yet also sad. He was being him again, but what if the normal, old him wasn't the good one? What if her Bruce was the bad one?

"What?" Fang laughed before taking a chance to mock him. "He's upset, Max. Fix it."

She stared at her boyfriend for a moment, wish for once in her life she didn't have to chose between Bruce and Fang.

Before she had a chance to speak though, Bruce did. He turned to face the two of them, anger in his eyes.

"Shut up. Both of you."

"I didn't say anything," Max said, though they all knew that was only because she wasn't as sharp as she once was and didn't have a comeback.

"You were going to though. You two aren't going to fuck this up for me, alright? I actually care about her. For real. Just because you two want to be unhappy for the rest of your lives doesn't mean that the rest of us do. So just shut up about Chase, alright?" He left the dirty dishes and walked off to the living room, where Buzz was explaining to the other toys that he was a space ranger.

"Over dramatic punk," Fang grumbled, still not moving his head from that stupid table. One day, there'd probably be an imprint from his head. That is, if he lived that long. "Respect, he should learn."

Max just blinked before going back to the dishes, only able to listen to Woody scheme to get Buzz exiled from the other toys, because going in there would mean leaving Fang, joining Bruce's team, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that just yet. Or if she would ever be, really.

* * *

A few nights later when Max finally got off work, it was late and she didn't really even feel like going home. That would mean dealing with Fang and Bruce. That would also mean cleaning up after Elizabeth since Fang could never make her clean up after herself and dealing with Ethan's rediscovered love of Toy Story. Max knew she'd find a valid reason for hating Chase, she just didn't know that it would involve her second oldest instead of first.

When she got to her bedroom, Fang was laying in the darkness, awake and, for once, not inebriated.

"Why is the baby in here?" Max whispered as she changed out of her work clothes.

"Toddler. And she just wanted to stay with me tonight."

"A sober you, you might add."

"I'm out and didn't feel like driving to get any. I'll make up for it tomorrow."

"I'm sure you will." She went into the bathroom before changing her mind when she smelled the horrible smell coming from it. "Air freshener next time, Fang."

'Right, so that you don't have to smell poop, but vanilla scented poop. Sorry if I like my poop smell pure."

"Shut up." She left the room and used the kids' bathroom before coming back to get into bed.

"She was asking about her father again today," Fang said as Max settled in.

"He'll call."

"No, he won't. But as long as you think so."

"I do."

"Until then though, she's mine."

"Before and after, Fang."

He patted her stomach, smiling when the little girl kicked in her sleep. "Chase was here today."

"Again?"

"Seems like Bruce is really stuck on this girl."

"Great." Max closed her eyes. "Fang?"

"What?"

"…He wants to stay."

"Stay where?"

"Here."

"What?"

"Here. In town. He doesn't want to go to Arizona with my mother."

"What? Max, no."

"Fang-"

"No."

"He wants to stay here for that girl, Fang. For Chase."

"And? I can't stay here with him."

"What do you want me to do, Fang? That's my son."

"And? He's mine too, but I know that he needs to go away."

"No, Fang."

"What?"

"No." Max sat up and looked at him. "It's not fair."

"What's not?"

"He went away and got fixed. He told me that he's been being on his best behavior so that we let him stay. You, however, haven't gotten fixed. You're still a drunk and always will be. You have no plans to change, Fang, so you're odd man out this time."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"…I choose Bruce. Over you. He's my son."

"I never said that he wasn't. But he is a grown man now."

"So are you. And you've been one for way longer."

Fang was quiet for a few minutes and Max thought that he wasn't going to respond.

"I have never intentionally hurt that boy, no matter how hard you guys try to make it seem like I did. I helped him the best I could. If anything, he has me to thank for everything he has."

"No. Not everything."

Again, Fang thought before responding. "If he wants to stay, fine. But if he fucks with me, I'm gone."

Max wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a threat, but she took it as one. "I'll always choose my kids over you."

"Since when?"

As worried as Fang always was about causing her to harm herself, his words sure did push her to the edge. Every fucking time.

* * *

"She hates Toy Story."

Max frowned, looking up and expecting Bruce, but instead seeing Ethan.

"Who does, Ethan?"

"Chase."

"What?"

Sighing, he sat down in front of his mother. She had gotten up around five, finding sleep impossible. Ethan, an early riser usually, heard her and came to talk.

"Chase. She hates Toy Story."

"How do you know?"

"Mom, she's, like, nineteen."

"And? A lot of-"

"Every single time she come over here, she wants to watch it. Every time! That or number two or number three. It's like she's freaking obsessed! It's so weird."

Max blinked. "Um…Ethan…"

"So I thought that it was odd, so I might have accidentally listened in on one of her conversations with Bruce."

"And?"

"Apparently, he told her that I liked Toy Story and she keeps bringing it up because he told her to. Can you believe that?"

Max smiled down at her coffee. "Your big brother loves you, Ethan."

"Ew. Mom, we are both men. We do not love each other."

"Right, sorry."

"Anyways, can you believe that he thinks that I'm some creepy, obsessive guy? Like I really like Toy Story that much. Please. Only a sick freak could watch that much of one thing."

Max looked back up at her son, staring into his eyes for a minute. "Do you like Chase?"

"I guess so. Besides the whole lying thing, she's okay. I mean, she keeps sitting through this movie she hates because she thinks me and Elizabeth like it, so she's nice at least."

"It's because she…loves your brother, probably."

Ethan sighed. "Mom?"

"What?"

"…I kind of miss Bruce."

"What do you mean, Ethan? He's home now. And me and your dad were talking and he might not even go stay with Grandma."

"But he's not the same."

"I know. But it's for the better, Ethan."

"I miss my big brother. Not some guy that just lets me have whatever I want. It was cool at first, but…I mean, he freaking gave me his Playboys, Mom."

"He what?"

"Wait, never mind."

"Ethan-"

"I miss the old Bruce."

She let out a slow breath. "I know. I do too."

Neither spoke for a few minutes and the house was completely silent. Then Ethan looked up again.

"You think that this is just a phase? That he'll be him again? Some time soon?"

"I don't know, Ethan. Maybe he's changed."

"Yeah, but-"

"And if he has, then we need to support him in all his endeavors." Even if they are ditsy cutter blondes.

Ethan pushed his hair out of his face, but it just fall back over his eyes once more. "You think that we've changed too? Since he's left? And we just don't realize it?"

Before Bruce left, Ethan was still loud, obnoxious, and loved Toy Story. Now he was…growing up. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He was going to be twelve soon and then thirteen and then, even though it seemed impossible, fourteen and in high school. He was growing up and Max couldn't stop it. Pretty soon, he'd hate her, just like Bruce…

"Probably, Ethan," Max said, looking at the wall behind his head. "We just didn't realize it because it's been gradual for us. Every time we saw him while he was in the detention center, he was still angry because…I don't really know why. I don't know why he's ever been angry. But now he's happy and that's a big shock. We've just got to adjust to the change. Or at least accept it."

"I don't know if I can."

"You'll learn, baby. We all will."

Max left him in the kitchen and went back to her bedroom. Fang had gotten up to take a shower, as he had work that morning, and his jeans were laying on the floor. On impulse, Max went over to them and pulled out his photo from the pocket.

There they were, still little children, stuck in probably the most horrid place on earth, but he was still managing to make her laugh. How did Fang do that? Make her laugh? No matter how much she hated him, because boy did she sometimes, he always did. It was…unnatural.

It wasn't fair that Fang got this picture to balance him. Max had nothing in the world that made her feel okay. Her kids were always changing, her boyfriend was complex and a drunk, her life pretty much seemed to hate her. It just wasn't fair.

"Mommy?"

She turned to see Elizabeth staring at her. "What?"

"Fang pic-ture. No take!"

Max realized then that she had been ready to rip up the picture, if only to get back at Fang for some reason. And what had he really done? Acted exactly how he always did? He was self-centered, sure, but he seemed to honestly love his children. In his own, messed up, frayed logic, he did.

"I'm just, uh, looking at it," Max told her, putting it back into the pocket. "See? No harm, no foul."

Fang chose then to walk out of the bathroom in only his boxers. "What are you doing with my jeans?"

"Just picking them up for you, Fang."

"…Okay, but if you put some kind of itching powder in them, it is so totally on."

"Grow up."

He shrugged before pulling them on. Max sighed, leaving the room once again, this time going to the living room. Bruce was now up and watching the news. She sat down next to him on the couch, but didn't speak to him.

When her cell phone rang, it was on the coffee table, but closer to Bruce. He picked it up.

"The caller ID says that it's…Gazzy?"

Snatching the phone from him, Max answered quickly, without thinking. Gasman? What did he want?

She heard something fall from her bedroom and then Fang's yelling, followed by Elizabeth's cries, and then their usual making up banter. Ethan yelled out in pain from the kitchen as he presumably burned himself on the toaster, something only he seemed to be able to do. Bruce was questioning why his surrogate uncle was calling after all these years.

None of them mattered at the moment, and yet they did at the same time. No matter what Gasman said on this phone call, whether it be I'm sorry or wrong number, she'd eventually have to go back and deal with Ethan and his new Playboys, Fang and his drunkenness, Elizabeth and Ryan's absence, and of course, the never ending problems that Bruce seemed to bring, rebuild everything that had been wrecked over the years, but that could all wait. Even if only for a few minutes. Those minutes couldn't start until she at least answered the phone.

"Hello?"

* * *

**That's it for Rebuild. Different ending than I usually take, but I kind of like it. **


End file.
